Wingless Hawks
by El.Ave.Fenix
Summary: A commotion is started and is spread all over the district, Altair and Ezio hear about it and stop to look at a rather peculiar sight, highschoolers running from Templars, now there's something you don't see every day...
1. Please Tell Me Its A Wall

**A/N: Ok, first things first, I know Ezio and Altair are from different time periods but I just felt like writing the both of them in one story, I also know that there is no river in Jerusalem, trust me it will serve more of a purpose than what I originally made it for, plus it was a birthday gift for someone so give me a break, personaly I like it, so let me know what you think!**

**_Please tell me it's a wall..._**

"Get him! Get him!" Annalise yelled as she threw a pillow at Monica who was too busy drinking Coke to pick up the control for her PS3 as the assasination memory played out. "Come on I cant even drink stupid pop?" she snapped as she struggled not to choke on her drink as she got her control and moved the assasin on her screen as she made him run after her target. "You idiot you should have killed him before he reached the guards, now their all after you," Annalise scowled as she reached over for the bag of chips and checked her phone.

All of a sudden Monica's phone rang making them both jump as Monica dropped her pop and Annalise the chips. "Chips...?Nnnhooo," they both said as they glanced down at the chips sadly before Monica picked up her phone, "No Natalie its not ok, I just spilled soda all over my room, and killed the only bag of chips I had left and to top it all off Im trying not to make Altair look like an idiot while I try to kill this stupid guy," she snapped struggling to talk on the phone and look at the screen.

"Oh what the hell?" Monica yelled as a crazy person pushed Altair off his course and made her fall back even further from her target, she growled as she threw the control over to Annalise as she got off her bed and paced around her room while she heard Natalie on the other line. "You have got to be kidding me, you called me so I can go over and kill a stupid spider on your wall? Get Anthony to do it, its 2 in the morning for crying out loud!" Monica yelled all of a sudden as Natalie answered back.

"Hey I cant sleep what do you want me to do? Walk around outside? When all hope is gone and the world is going to end you shall find me playing on my PS3," Monica chuckled evily as she glanced at Annalise who was struggling to keep up with the game as she payed attention back to her phone.

"Tell him to get something to squish it with its not that hard," Monica replied before Annalise finished the assasination and the screen went blank. "What the hell?" she asked as she stood up and looked at the PS3 and then at the TV, everything seemed to be ok.

"Dont tell me its not working, I love that game," Monica replied sadly making puppy eyes at Annalise. "You mean you love Altair, not the game," Annalise shot back earning herself a death glare from Monica before she went back to her phone. "Shut up Ezio lover," Monica murmured as she went into a fit of laugher as several pillows flew past her, she hit the floor quickly before any of them managed to hit her.

"Listen Natalie I gotta go, its the night of the living pillows, their after my flesh," Monica replied before she ended the call and caught a pillow and threw it back at Annalise who also ducked and snickered at her atempt to hit her. "Whats wrong with the TV anyway?" Monica asked as she put her phone in her back pocket and started to hit the TV sideways while Annalise checked the PS3. "I dont know," Annalise replied in a Gir voice as she laughed before Monica gasped in shock and everything went black as they felt the ground beneath them being pulled from under them...

"WHAT THE HELL?" Monica yelled frantically as her arms flailed helplessly as she fell gaining speed as every second went by. Annalise right next to her in the same predicament, "WERE GOING TO DIE!" she yelled panicked as she noticed they were falling, a city waiting for them below, as they stared up hopeless at the clouded sky as the groud grew closer and closer. "IF YOU GOTTA GO, GO WITH A SMILE!" Monica yelled back laughing, yes of all the times to be laughing she was doing so now.

"SHIT!" Annalise managed to say as she felt herself land in something soft and yellow. "Oh...uh...ugh...Im alive...dont panic Im alive," Monica joked as she too landed in the same stuff Annalise did. "Thank God for hay," Annalise said as she picked herself up and helped her partner up. "Hell yeah still got a recept-forget it my phone just died," Monica added as she looked around everything seemed normal, tall ancient buildings, no electricity, women wearing robes and dresses only in the street that she could see from the allyway they were in, guards with swords walking about, merchants shouting to the crowd compeating with eachother, scoarching heat, it reminded her of a picture of Jerusalem she had seen once in the history books that they had in highschool.

"Hey kid check this out, were in the US and they have a place that looks like Jerusalem, now let me think about this, were the hell is all the technology and whats up with the guards, no police," Monica added sarcastically before she was slapped by Annalise. "This isnt the US anymore you idiot, does this place remind you of anything?" Annalise asked having only played in it a couple of seconds ago.

"Nah, not really why?" Monica asked still clueless, "What I do know is that Im hungry, there might be a McDonalds around here or something," she replied rubbing her stomach while it growled in protest of being neglected. "You trully are slow when you dont eat, were in Assasins Creed you idiot, look around, ah there is a fine example right there," Annalise said pointing to a Templar standing a few feet away from them unaware of the two girls starring at him in awe and disbelief. "Whoa, that means I cant eat cookies anymore?" Monica asked remembering the Chips Ahoy she had left on the counter and wondered if her cat would eat them.

"Hey you there, what are you-" A guard started before he stopped and looked at the two perculiar looking women before him, they were young, but what in the devil's name were they wearing, one of them had short shorts and a black sleveless shirt while the other had capris and a red sleveless shirt. "Uh, what do we do now?" Monica asked Annalsie as she backed away from the aproaching guard and looked around frantically.

"I dont know, are we doing something bad, I mean we were just standing around," Annalise said to the guard who in turn called over reenforcements. "Come on now, Im sure this is some sort of misunderstanding...cant we work it out or something?" Monica asked also as she looked everywhere for a way out, said escape route being an allyway leading to the crowded streets a few feet back.

"They certainly look strange, what do you want us to do captain?" one of the guards asked as he pulled out his sword and locked eyes with one of the women, or girls in his eyes. "Bring them to me," their captain replied as the remaing guards all charged at the two highschoolers. "Run like hell!" Monica yelled as she shoved Annalise into the allyway and ran behind her until they reached the streets disrupting everyone and everything as they practically flew through the crowded streets. "Not good, not good, not good." Annalise whispered to herself as she doged everyone and looked for another route to lose the guards.

News certainly travled fast and it wasnt long till everyone in that district knew that there was a large comotion and a chase was currently in action. The whispers, conversations, and shouts about it soon reached the two assasins up on the rooftops searching for their current targets. "What do you suppose it is?" the younger one asked in an italian accent as he crouched on the edge of the house they were currently on and looked down at the busy streets below unaware that the two girls were about to run through.

"It does not concern us, leave it be," the older one replied as he started to leave only to stop and check to see why the younger assassin was not following. "I wonder what has the guards all worked up..." the younger assassin commented still not moving from his place as the older and more experianced one towered behind him, his gaze tearing through the streets below, taking in every detail.

"Get them! Dont let them get away!" one of the guards shouted followed by several more commands and orders. Both of the highschoolers racing through the crowd now getting a hang of things. "Dive dude its the only way!" Annalise shouted at Monica as she saw the bridge up ahead remembering that the guards couldnt follow in the water. "Go and find some assassins to chase or something not us!" Monica yelled back at the guards as she swan dived off of the bridge followed by Annalise who jumped off in a familiar manner.

"Did you hear that?" the young assassin commented as he started to move towards another roof closer to the river that he had seen the two women dissapear into. "I did, how did they know about us?" the other replied as he moved more skillfully behind the young assassin, both of them jumping and landing gracefully from roof to roof until they reached the end of the building that stood at the edge of the river. They both observed as the two girls grabbed a hold of some boats docked on the edge of the market and pull themselves up as they started to run once more as soon as a heavily armed Tempelar saw them.

"Do you think we should help?" the assassin asked as he felt the other behind him as always scanning the streets below. "They know about the creed, I want to know how they knew," the other replied as they moved even faster to catch up to the highschoolers who seemed to be getting clumsier bumping into people as the crowd got thicker and thicker, they were in the market district after all.

"We cant keep this up, go into an ally or something kid!" Monica barked at Annalise as she nodded and headed off into a shadded allyway followed by Monica. "I think we might have lost them..." Annalise started as she breathed heavily trying to catch her breath as Monica nodded and started to laugh at their close call. "By the looks of it guards are easier to escape than I thought," she commented as Annalise nodded in agreement and sat down on the dirt floor taking the time to rest, after all the ally was a dead end and there was no one in it.

She ignored the soft thuds she heard behind her as Monica's laughter died down immediatly much to Annalise's shock. "What? Whats wrong?" she asked as she looked at Monica's expression of utter shock as she whipped around only to be face to face with none other than Ezio Auditore himself.

"What the hell?" she said as she panicked and backed up as she tripped and fell back into Monica who caught her as she backed up slighly bumping into what she thought was a wall. "Hey kid...do walls breathe?" Monica asked slightly panicked also as Annalise looked up to her partner and then at the supposed 'wall' behind her, said wall being Altair Ibn-La'Ahad towering over Monica in an intimidating manner.

"Hate to tell you this but the 'wall' is actually Altair," Annalise replied as she saw Monica's eyes go wide in panic. "I think we were better off with the guards dont you think?" Annalise asked noticing the hidden blades on both of the assassins, the hoods over their eyes preventing her from seeing what they were looking at giving them an intimidating look, the white robes didnt help much either.

"Agreed," Monica said as she helped Annalise up and started to walk away. "You are not going back," Altair added in a low and calm voice sending shivers down their backs. "I think I liked them better in the games...at least they couldnt kill us in them..." Monica replied to Annalise as she tried to bolt only to be stopped again by the older assassin. "The guards are not stupid, they will find us soon, we need to move," Ezio commented as he tried to listen to the distinct sounds of armor and swords in the background.

"Well, if this is goodbye, I was the one who lost the Modern Warfare 2 disc," Annalise told her partner in crime as Monica turned to her with an angered face.

"YOU WHAT?" she yelled outraged much to the panic of the two assassins as the guards closed in. "Sorry bella," Ezio said as he knocked out Annalise who was about to answer back at Monica as she fell back into the Italians arms as he carried her over his shoulder. "Oh no you dont," Monica said warningly as Altair walked over to her. "Stay still," he ordered her calmly as she scampered all over the ally until the assassin caught her.

She looked up at his golden eyes as he held her close for a moment and then snapped out of his daze as he knocked her out with an apologizing look as she also fell into his arms. "Bastard..." she mumbled before he took off folowing Ezio as they climbed up to the roofs away from the eyesight of the guards. "What are we going to do with them?" Ezio asked as he looked at their unconcious forms now over their shoulders. "We will wait till nightfall, then we will wake them and take them to the bureau," Altair replied as he looked at Ezio, "for now we will look for a tower or somewhere were we can hide and not be found," the assassin said finalizing his plan.

"Whatever you say old man, whatever you say," Ezio replied as they both started again across the roofs with the highschoolers over their shoulders, unaware that they would change their lives forever as soon as they woke up...

**_Alright! Review, let me know what you think, ideas are always welcomed!_**


	2. Differences

**Differences...**

**_A/N: So sorry that must have been an awful wait right? But never the less here it is, enjoy and once again Im so sorry! :D_**

Annalise opened one eye slowly and then closed it, five more minutes couldn't hurt now could they? Her eyes snapped open as soon as she recalled seeing a star filled sky. To hell with everything this wasn't right she quickly got up and rubbed the back of her head, for some reason it hurt as if she had been hit. She looked around and noticed she was up in a tower overlooking a dimly lit city down below as she started to panic.

"So it wasn't a dream after all," she murmured to herself as she quickly looked around for the pair of assassins. Relived once she noticed they were no where in sight she soon found Monica still passed out on the stone floor as she approached her friend and started to wake her.

"Pandora…imma kill you," Monica murmured still sleeping as Annalise rolled her eyes, even in her dreams her partner in crime still remembered her Chips Ahoy along with her cat.

"Wake up damn it!" she snapped as she finally slapped her friend across the face as she in turned sat up immediately in pain.

"Manners kid, manners," she growled at Annalise as she rubbed her red cheek and looked around, her eyes going wide in shock and then glazing over in rage. If it was something Annalise had learned it had been that Monica could change feelings in a heartbeat, she was well known for that.

"It wasn't a dream right," Monica grumbled unhappily as she picked herself up and dusted the dirt off her clothes while looking around as Annalise looked around also, "damn it I even bothered in doing my homework for Social Studies dude! I did homework and now I wont be able to turn it in! Stupid PS3 I'm gonna replace it as soon as I get back, screw Assassins Creed man! Screw it!" she yelled clearly outraged as Annalise stood back with a calmed expression on her face.

"I did it too and I'm not complaining," she commented as Monica glanced at her temper diminishing in the slightest.

"You do your homework all the time, I hate that teacher and I actually did it," Monica shot back pouting like a child crossing her arms over her chest while sitting on the railing of the tower, Annalise joining her side as they looked down at the city, the occasional guard doing his rounds passing the tower once in a while.

"How did we get up here dude?" Monica asked as Annalise paused to think that question through, now that her friend mentioned it she started to remember a certain Italian smacking the back of her head.

"We brought you up here," Altair said as he jumped down from the top part of the tower followed by Ezio, they had been up there the whole time much to the high schoolers anger as they both jumped in surprise and lost their balance as they went over the railing.

Ezio's hands shooting towards their feet as he caught both of them and left them dangling from the side of the tower for a couple of seconds before he started to pull them up.

"I think this place wants us to die," Annalise commented with a blank stare as Monica turned her head with and equally blank face and nodded.

"Agreed," she replied as they were finally set down on the ground once more.

"I don't like you, did I ever mention that," Monica growled looking at Altair as he remained still giving no notice that he had heard or cared. She rolled her eyes and looked away from him down to the ground and crossed her arms once more.

"Do you think its time?" Ezio asked as he crouched on the bird perch and looked down as he turned to look at Altair who had moved behind him looking down as well.

"I don't think they even see us here," Annalise commented as she looked over at Monica who was busy looking down and making animal figures with her hand at a Templar who was looking up at her with astonishment and rage at being mocked as he continued to glare as Annalise slapped Monica's hand causing her to jump and pulled her away.

"Get up," Altair ordered since he had been watching everything, no doubt the guard had already called reinforcements, they would be here soon and they were in no state to fight.

"Killjoy," Monica murmured to both of them as Annalise glanced over the railing to find the Templar was still there along with three others, she could tell he was trying to explain what he had seen and the other three were having a hard time believing him, that tower had been abandoned for years, there was no way anyone could have been up there, much less a woman making animals with her hands.

She gasped when the guards glanced up and looked at her, "there's one of the little whores!" the guard yelled pointing as they all starred up at them while Annalise backed up from the railing only to hold back a laugh as Monica snapped and ran over to the railing once more.

"I'll show you who's a whore you good for nothing pig! Your lower than trash you dog, your more of a whore than I am you fuck-" she yelled before her mouth was covered over by a gloved hand and she was dragged away from the railing for the second time that night. Her yells of protest were drowned out by Altair who was using every strength in his body to remain calm, they were proving to be more of a bother than he had thought.

"Get the other one, we have to move fast, and Ezio, if you miscalculate anything it will result in both of your deaths, don't be foolish," Altair warned as he pushed himself up to the perch once more pulling Monica who was still protesting as her eyes widened seeing where she was.

"Your going to kill us both if you continue to struggle," Altair whispered to her as she stopped her struggling completely frozen to the spot, suddenly understanding. She shook her head trying to get away from him and reaching out to Annalise for help as the assassin tensed and suddenly ran off of the perch.

Her hear seemed to skip a beat in that moment of panic as she felt her eyes go wider than they had ever been as he somehow managed to flip over so his back was facing the hay in the little time that he had while wrapping his arms around her making sure she wouldn't cause their death as they finally landed with a soft thud in the life saving yellow hay.

She was breathing heavily on top of him as she finally came to her senses and slowly rose straddling his waist still shaking as she looked down at his blank expression and quickly got off of him blushing seeing her predicament and stumbled off of the cart as he quietly followed in one swift movement and landed right next to her still not saying a word as he looked up at the tower and then around to see if there were any guards nearby, no doubt the ones from before were more alert than ever and patrolling the area more carefully.

"Relax bella I've done this before," Ezio assured Annalise as she took his hand willingly and pulled herself up with him onto the perch as she stepped closer still doubting it was a good idea.

"Are you sure?" she asked as the grip on her waist tightened no doubt he was about to jump.

"Well not with another person but there is always a first si?" he replied laughing running off before she could even respond as she too felt her whole world had been pulled from under her feet as she felt her stomach sink as soon as she felt herself falling.

He too managed to flip over onto his back as they landed perfectly in the center of the hay. Monica letting out a breath she had been holding once she noticed they hadn't gotten themselves killed as she saw a torch out of the corner of her eye and the gleam of armor as she gasped in shock and pulled Altair along into a very narrow alleyway just as the guard rounded a corner walking over towards them.

Ezio had heard the gasp and remained still completely frozen with Annalise laying on top of him as he shook his head desperately once she tried to get up, she quickly froze understanding him and holding her breath listening to anything that could alert them of what was happening.

Monica started to panic as the guard got closer, she looked everywhere there was no way out. Her mind being brought back to earth when she felt Altair shift in front of her, they were practically pressed up against each other, the ally had been that narrow, and thankfully dark, but not dark enough if the guard got any closer. He too glanced everywhere and seeing no way out he pulled her deeper into the ally as the guard walked past not noticing the two figures frozen in place in the darkness.

Once Ezio heard the retreating steps of the guard he nodded his head indicating Annalise could finally get up, she did without thinking twice as long as she was away and not close to the Italian, the quicker the better. She fell off the cart and groaned on the dirt floor only to glance up to notice Monica and Altair in a similar predicament trying to get out of the ally at once, both of them struggling due to them being so close.

"Ok were like getting nowhere, stay still," Monica ordered now frustrated as she placed a hand on Altair's chest wishing to cause him to stay still instead receiving a jump from the startled assassin.

Ezio jumped off of the cart as well and landed gracefully next to Annalise while he too got a look at the spectacle before him.

"Ok I can do this," Monica murmured to herself as she sucked in her stomach to the point her ribs poked out of her shirt as she pulled to her side managing to shift a little as she repeated the process and managed to slip through with a satisfied smirk. Altair following behind her as they both emerged from the ally shaken up due to neither of them planning on being so close to the other.

"Nice going old man," Ezio said laughing as Annalise followed along letting loose a chuckle. Both of them receiving death glares from their corresponding partners as their laughter died down immediately.

"Did I ever tell you those two would make a lovely couple," Ezio murmured to Annalise as they walked behind an unstable high schooler and a fuming assassin. Annalise smirking when she heard the comment, she couldn't help but agree, they had so much in common and yet they refused to acknowledge each other. Annalise nodded as she continued to walk side by side with the Italian as they finally reached their destination.

"Your going to have to get up there somehow," Ezio commented looking up at the wall easily climbable for them but hell for the two girls looking at the assassins as if they had lost their minds.

Altair rolled his eyes from under his hood knowing full well no one could see as he climbed up and checked the entrance to the bureau, it was open much to his relief as he walked over the wall's edge and looked down impatiently at Ezio as he finally got the drift and crouched motioning for the girls to follow.

"Last time I trusted you, I ended up jumping off a cliff with an inexperienced assassin," Annalise commuted doubting him as Monica much to her shock went along and stepped on Ezio's leg and reached up to be pulled by Altair as her partner finally made it up the wall and sat at its edge looking down at her impatiently as well mimicking Altair in a manner which almost sent Annalise into a laughing fit, she held back and chuckled slightly as she finally gave in and walked over towards Ezio, she too used his leg for support as Altair reached down and pulled her up as well easily, they seemed like twigs compared to him and the other assassin staring up at them as if he was the outcast of the group.

He climbed up with much ease as they all walked over to the entrance. Altair once again eager to get some well needed sleep jumped down and looked up at Ezio who was already lowering Annalise down as he let go of her carefully only to be caught by the other assassin carefully as he set her down and caught Monica as well as his hold on her lasted a little longer noticing she was exhausted, no doubt the long walk to the bureau as he set her down as well and walked into the bureau to be greeted by none other than Malik himself as he glanced up slightly at Altair and then at Ezio before resuming his sorting of papers.

The ex-assassin's gaze shot up once he took notice of the two women who walked in after the assassins as his widened eyes turned to took at Altair and Ezio for answers.

"It was his idea!" Ezio blurted out not being able to stand the gaze Malik was giving them as he pointed accusingly at Altair who rolled his eyes once more at the younger assassin, quite honestly he didn't know how he had put up with him for so long.

"Why are they dressed like that?" Malik asked as he turned to look once more at the women who were exploring the bureau and their rather peculiar and inappropriate clothing.

"We brought them here because they know of the Creed," Altair replied as Malik narrowed his eyes at the older assassin, that was interesting.

"We thought we could bring them here in order to get some answers out of them," Ezio added as he popped into the conversation while Malik looked behind the two assassins and out into the garden like area of the bureau were many pillows were kept and rose an eyebrow.

"It does not seem you will get your questions answered tonight," he replied as Altair tensed not understanding as Malik pointed towards the two women who had somehow managed to fall asleep in between the mess of pillows while they were talking.

"Well might as well go and join them," Ezio said eagerly as he turned to leave only to get held back by an aggravated Altair.

"You are to go nowhere near them," he growled back knowing the young Italian to well as he let go having received a nod from the assassin in his grip as he turned to look at Malik once more, "come dawn we will have some answers from them, whether they decide to cooperate or not," he finished as he made his way out of the bureau followed by Ezio who kept trailing behind the older assassin giving him some well needed time to think.

**Alright there you have it review! Let me know what you thought, ideas are welcome :D**


	3. I Dont Take Orders

_**I dont take orders...**_

_**A/N: I own nothing...I wish I did though only my OC's **_**:D**_**  
**_

Monica woke first, there was too much light and she couldn't sleep due to it. She glanced around and found it hard to believe she was in Assassins Creed, or rather Jerusalem back in the day. She glanced over and noticed Annalise was still asleep, her face covered by a pillow, she probably woke before Monica and went back to sleep with a pillow covering her face hiding from the light.

Monica chuckled slightly as she got up and stretched while she looked around slightly before she heard the familiar thud of feet hitting the ground from behind her, Ezio standing there with his trademark sheepish smirk as she looked at him waiting for him to speak.

"Better hurry up, were going to go to the market district, if your going to stay here you have to fit in, and with those clothes you will call the attention of the guards, not to mention they are inappropriate," he added as she shifted her stance and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"What the hell is wrong with my clothes, its hot here I personally don't know how you can stand to wear that," she shot back pointing at his robes as he shrugged and remembered Altair waiting for them, his eyes widening in panic, the older assassin hated to wait, Ezio had learned that the hard way with a hard smack to the head every time he was late.

"We better get moving, wouldn't want to make him wait, there wont be a lot of people out right now so it gives us a head start," he replied as Monica sighed as she moved over to wake Annalise.

"Kid wake up time!" she yelled as Annalise bolted upright in an instant as she looked around still half asleep and turned to glare at Monica who in turn was laughing at her.

"Where are we going?" Annalise asked slightly as Monica looked back at her with an annoying look on her face.

"Shopping," she replied as Ezio helped them up the wall as Monica reached for the edge of the wall and pulled herself up with difficulty, groaning and dropping on all fours once she was on the roof and collapsing face first on the roof tired beyond belief as Annalise did the same, they weren't assassins after all, Ezio appearing next to them as he pulled himself up with ease and landed softly next to the two girls as he stood over them along with Altair who looked down at them as well in somewhat amusement.

"It looks easier on the game," Annalise commented blankly as Monica looked at her and picked herself up while stretching out a hand to help her partner.

"Everything is easier said than done in life kid," she replied as Annalise took her hand and got up as she looked over at the two assassins who stood a couple of feet back waiting for them.

"Showoffs," Annalise murmured as Monica nodded in agreement, they stood at the edge of yet another building as Ezio remembered there was a pile of hay beneath them as he ran and jumped off of the building causing Annalise and Monica to panic once he raced past them followed by Altair as both of the high school girls looked down to see them shaking the hay off of their robes and looking up at them expecting for them to follow.

"Crazy motherfuckers, I'm not jumping off a building!" Monica exclaimed backing away from the edge as Annalise did the same.

"For the fist time I agree with you man, I'm not jumping off a fucking building what if we break something," Annalise said as she looked over the edge at Altair who seemed to be getting impatient as he looked up at her and then at the hay as if ordering her to jump.

"Come on ladies we don't have all day!" Ezio yelled as Monica stuck out her tongue at him as he laughed and Altair tilted his head in amusement, that was something you didn't see everyday, Malik stood behind the two girls having crept up behind them as Altair nodded his head which earned him a look of confusion from both of the girls.

"You better jump before he comes up here and pushes you off," Malik commented from behind them startling them as they both jumped with a scream and lost their balance once more falling over the edge as they landed in the hay a couple of feet down.

"Not cool man, not cool," Monica growled looking up at the ex-assassin as he waved goodbye and disappeared from the roof no doubt going back to finish sorting papers and recording the Creed's records.

"Lets get going," Ezio called back as he walked after Altair, Monica and Annalise having to run after them as they finally caught up and walked behind both of the assassins.

"Kinda sucks that we don't have our Ipods right?" Annalise asked as Monica nodded, she hated not having music around as she tapped her finders to a random beat that popped in her head as she continued to walk behind both men as they cleared a path and made sure no guards saw the girls traveling behind them.

"I kinda wanna listen to my music now," Monica complained as she started to sing out of nowhere, not that it surprised Annalise, when they didn't have music around they started to usually sing.

_"Screaming on the inside, _

_I am frail and withered_

_Cover up the wounds that I can't hide_

_Walls that lie between us, _

_the saint within the sinner_

_I have lost the nerve but it's all right_

_Carry the wounded and shut your eyes_

_All will be forgiven, none will rise_

_Bury the fallen and lead the blind_

_I will find the lost, dead inside_

_Into the nothing, faded and weary_

_I won't leave and let you fall behind_

_Live for the dying, heaven, hear me_

_I know we can make it out alive_

_Leave me at the bottom, I am lost foreve_

_rLetters from the dead, say goodbye_

_Sorrow falls upon us, this will be the last time_

_Days begin to end but I'll get by_

_Follow the hopeless and shut your eyes_

_All will be abandoned, none will shine_

_Gather the broken and leave this life_

_Lying in the earth side by side_

_Into the nothing, faded and weary_

_I won't leave and let him fall behind_

_Live for the dying, heaven, hear me_

_I know we can make it out alive_

_I'll keep you inside_

_Where I lead you cannot follow_

_Straight into the light_

_As my breath grows still and shallow_

_Into the nothing, faded and weary_

_I won't leave and let them fall behind_

_Live for the dying, heaven, hear me_

_I know we can make it out alive_

_Stay with me, you're all I have left_

_I know we can make it out alive_

_Stay with me, you're all I have left_

_I know we can make it out alive…"_

"See this is why I don't let you sign, cus' when you do its usually depressing," Annalise added as soon as Monica was done as her friend shrugged.

"I cant help it ok?" Monica replied as she looked around, a lot of people were staring at them by now, the market district was now in full swing as they all continued to follow the two girls with their eyes.

"You have a wonderful voice young lady," a woman commented as she passed Monica who in turn smiled back at her awkwardly, she didn't know anyone had been listening to her, much to her dismay she discovered that everyone had been paying attention to her.

"Jesus why didn't you tell me anything kid?" Monica snapped at Annalise as her friend smiled back at her.

"I like to hear you sing, I almost never get the chance to do so," Annalise replied as Monica smiled back and messed up Annalise's hair in return.

Both of the assassins up front walked slower now as they exchanged glances and then looked back hoping that the highschool girls would continue singing, why the didn't know, they just wanted to hear them again.

"Got another song kid cus' everyone is starring at you waiting for one more," Annalise commented as they continued to walk as Monica thought deeply she didn't want to call any more attention but what other choice did she have, they still had a long way to go to their destination and she was bored, not to mention the silence was killing her.

"Yeah I got one more," she replied as she looked evilly at Annalise, "you remember the movie Beowulf right?" she asked her friend who in turn nodded as she remained quiet once her friend started to sing once more, a crowd of people looking after them some stopping their current task as she began.

_"Lips, ripe as the berries in June_

_Red the rose, red the rose_

_Skin, pale as the light of the moon_

_Gently as she goes ..._

_Eyes, blue as the sea and the sky_

_Water flows, water flows_

_Heart, burning like fire in the night_

_Gently as she goes ..._

_La, la la la la la la_

_La la la, la la la_

_ La,la la la la la la_

_Gently as she goes …"_

"Watcha think about that one kid?" Monica asked as Annalise nodded in glee, she remembered watching that movie, the song getting stuck in her head as she began to hum it quietly as people nodded their heads in approval as the two girls waved goodbye.

"Your lucky to have a woman like that young man," a man commented as he passed Altair as Monica heard the comment and blushed looking down in embarrassment, the last thing she needed was for people to assume things that weren't true.

Ezio looked back to see Monica looking down in embarrassment as he threw a suggestive glance at Annalise who laughed while looking at the Italian and then at Altair who just kept walking even though his mind was racing. Her voice haunting his thoughts as he continued to walk in denial, he would die before any of that happened.

"What are we buying again?" Annalise asked as she looked at Monica who looked up quickly.

"Something to wear, according to them what were wearing is inappropriate," she replied as a little girl bumped into her and looked up shyly and held out her small hand as Monica rose an eyebrow and stopped walking as she looked down at the little girl in confusion.

"Its for you," the little girl said shyly opening her small palm to reveal several coins as Monica shook her head. Both of the assassins looking back to see why they had stopped.

"Oh no, no I can take this," Monica replied embarrassed as she looked at Annalise who stood a couple of feet away and smiled at her partner and her current predicament, "I…." she added not knowing what to say as the little girl reached for her hand and took it with her small one as she opened it and dropped the coins into it.

"Father and mother like how you sing," she added with a shy smile as she started to run off leaving Monica bewildered as she stared at the retreating form of the little girl and then at the money in her hand.

Soon after that people would stop her occasionally to give her money as well, each time she tired to deny them they would shake their heads and give the money to her anyway.

"At this rate even the damn king will know of her," Ezio joked as Altair looked back to see yet another little girl approach Monica as she tried to deny her, Annalise smiling at the girl as she gave Monica money and hugged her leg as Monica smiled back down and hugged the little girl back as she ran off squealing with laughter as the highschool girls looked back and waved goodbye to her as the assassins continued walking.

"Were here," Altair said as he walked up to a merchants stand followed by Ezio and the two girls.

"Ah my friends, good to see you again, what were you looking for today-" the merchant said before he stopped to look at the two girls before him and then looked at the two assassins, "I see, step right this way," he said as he motioned both of the girls behind a curtain followed by the assassins.

"What will it be? A dress, a robe, a skirt perhaps," the merchant thought out loud as both Monica and Annalise looked at him outraged.

"Hey man, we don't wear dresses or skirts so don't even go there," Annalise shot back as the merchant rose an eyebrow at her and then looked back at Altair and Ezio.

"Don't ask," Ezio replied as the merchant shrugged and looked at the girls.

"Look to make your job easier just get me some black leather pants and a black jacket ok?" Monica told him as the merchant held back a laugh as he looked at Monica and Annalise with amusement.

"Women don't wear pants young lady, that is for men only," he replied as Monica twitched as Annalise took notice and tired to stop her before it was too late.

"Listen here boy I don't care what women do here, I don't wear skirts or dresses, I don't care what it costs just do it, I dont take orders for you or anyone else so just do it," she growled grabbing the collar of the merchants shirt and ramming him up against a wall as he gulped and looked back at Altair who made no move to stop her.

"Whatever you say my lady," the merchant said as Monica released him, he left to retrieve his measuring equipment and came back seconds later.

"If you hadn't said that I would have kicked his ass," Annalise commented as Monica smirked back at her as the merchant took out his measuring tape and looked up embarrassed at the two girls.

"I have to take some measurements of your waist and chest, along with some other areas, this is why we don't make pants or shirts for women young lady," the merchant added as Monica rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"Take the measurements already," she said as the merchant looked back at both assassins for permission, Altair nodding after a second or two of debate followed by Ezio.

"Please pardon me," the merchant said as he drew the tape around her waist and took the measurements, he then glanced up still unsure as Monica took the tape from his hands and took the measurements for her chest and legs.

"I understand ok? Im not that moody," she replied handing back the measuring tape as the merchant proceeded to taking Annalise's waits measurements as he gave her the tape while she did the rest for him, once he had all the measurements he looked back up still unsure.

"What would you like them made of?" he asked as a Annalise smirked evilly.

"Black leather," she replied as the merchant rose an eyebrow.

"Leather is expensive, especially black," he replied as Monica took out the bag of money she had collected while on her way here.

"Will that cover it?" she asked sarcastically as the merchant nodded and took the money.

Ezio looking back at Altair in confusion, he thought they would be paying for their clothes not them. The older assassin shaking his head at the Italian as they continued to watch.

"Normally I would have these done in a week, but for my preferred customers, 2 days," he replied as Altair bowed his head in approval while Ezio nodded as well as they left the shop behind.

"Do they sell guitars around here?" Monica asked looking back at Altair and Ezio as the assassins looked at each other in surprise, now that was something they didn't get asked very often.

"A couple of shops down from here," Ezio replied as Annalise's face lit up instantly along with Monica's as they continued to walk down the streets, the assassins behind them still unsure of where they had come from, they were like no other women they had ever come across, while others might grovel or shake in fear, they would glare and be defiant.

After another hour at the guitar shop they finally emerged out of it Annalise grinning from ear to ear with a guitar in her arms as Monica shrugged content with herself, she hadn't even finished the money the people had given her and Annalise was already happy with the guitar they had bought.

After the grueling walk back to the bureau they finally dropped down into the heaven of the pillows that greeted them as Monica rested her back by lying down and starring up at the star filled sky as Altair and Ezio dropped down also Annalise busy trying out the guitar which sounded way better than the one she had back home as she began to play a tune on it while Monica hummed along knowing full well the song she was playing.

"So where did you say you were from?" Ezio asked as Altair stood next to them, they would find out how they knew so much of the Creed one way or another.

"The future," Annalise answered as Ezio burst into laughter as Altair crouched near Monica as she looked up at his golden eyes, unlike the younger assassin they held no humor in them.

"Killjoy," she replied as his lips twitched in a half smirk as she pulled out her phone from her back pocket and held it out to the assassins as Ezio stopped laughing and looked at the peculiar box she was holding.

"Laugh now," she replied as she threw it over to the Italian as Altair rose and walked over to inspect it, Ezio jumping back and almost dropping it as the screen lit up as he pressed a button on it.

"Still don't believe us," Annalise laughed as Altair and Ezio looked over at them, now this was something you didn't see everyday…

**_Alright! There you have it, let me know what you think...and like I said in my other story, dont just favorite it or add it to alert...it depresses me, make sure you review! dont just add it review! Or I'll get Altair and Ezio to hunt you down... :P_**


	4. Knives

**Knives...**

**Alright! So im back and here it is! I do realize it took me forever to update...but I had god awful writters block...but I digress...I see that I will have to hunt down alot of you for not reviewing and just putting it on alert but anyway, without further interruption, here it is!  
**

"We have to do something about them, we can't keep them here forever and expect the other assassins to ignore the fact that two women are sleeping in the bureau," Ezio commented from his place in the study where Malik stood over a mess of notes scattered across the desk before him.

Altair standing in the doorway looking out into the sea of pillows which held the two high school girls sleeping soundly, unaware of the current predicament that the assassins were trying to solve.

"I agree, they cannot stay long and hope to go unnoticed, after all they would certainly be tempting to any assassin in the creed," Malik commented looking at Altair's back as the assassin visually tensed once he had heard the words the other had mumbled.

Much to Malik's prediction, the Arab turned to look at him with a glare that could kill from underneath that famous trademark hood of his.

"That will not happen," he hissed in between clenched teeth as Ezio took a step back in alarm, Altair rarely lost his temper, and when he did…let's just say it was better to stay away.

"Deny it as you will, it is a fact," Malik replied as Ezio exchanged glances in between the two old rivals, once they started up an argument it went on and on forever until one of them lost, Altair usually being the one who lost.

"What do you propose we do then?" Ezio added trying to ease the tension in between the two which could easily be cut with their hidden blades due to it being so heavy.

Malik broke eye contact with the older assassin as he turned to look at the Italian, "well, we cannot let them fend for themselves out there, if what they say is true they could be a powerful tool for the creed, that is if the Master will allow it," he concluded as he and Ezio turned to look at Altair who held a scowl hidden beneath the hood.

He had a bad feeling about letting them stay but he couldn't let them go either, if one of them was captured it would spill disaster for the brotherhood.

"Very well, they will remain under our protection for the time being, but do not expect me to babysit a couple of girls," Altair replied, he sometimes hated being the master assassin, but he had no other choice. Ezio would just lead the creed into oblivion.

"Oi, were still here, we can hear you idiota!" Monica called having woken up due to all of the commotion they were causing as she threw a pillow at Altair, successfully hitting his back as the assassin tensed and slowly turned his head to look back at the pair. No one threw pillows at Altair Ibn-La'Ahad…no one.

"I don't think that was a good idea kid…" Annalise commented looking at the assassin as his hidden blade hand twitched dangerously while Monica's eyes widened in fear.

"Bloody hell," Monica murmured underneath her breath as Altair stalked over to her slowly like a predator about to pounce on its prey. Annalise catching on quicker than anyone and helping her partner climb up the wall before the assassin reached her as she pulled herself up quickly and ran across the rooftops looking back to see the assassin on her trail already followed by Ezio who kept waving his hands up in the air dramatically and calling to them in a mixture of Italian and English, Annalise trailing behind the Italian yelling at her also while Altair picked up the pace, hell bent on catching her.

Monica kept running at the head of the pack as she jumped from roof top to roof top looking for a way out of her current predicament, if she didn't come up with something soon the Arab would catch up to her soon and no doubt skin her alive.

She looked ahead and noticed the break in the houses; she remembered the river that ran through the city as she sighed in relief, if there was one place Altair wouldn't follow it was in the water.

She ran even faster once she looked back and noticed he was dangerously close to catching her as she ran off the roof causing the assassin behind her to stop dead in his tracks as she swan dived off the roof into the river below.

Altair stood at the edge of the building seething with rage as he clenched his fists tightly to the point where they protested in pain as he ignored the feeling while looking down as Monica surfaced and looked up at him with a triumphant glare as he growled deeply while looking at her, they were defiantly from the future, no woman in their right mind would ever stare at him like that, she should be shaking in fear not glaring.

"Ah shit man!" Annalise yelled as she failed to notice the end of the building and fell into the river as well as Monica started to laugh uncontrollably at her friend.

"Stylish aren't you mein love," Monica teased once her friend surfaced as she splashed water in her face causing Monica to scowl at her as she stopped suddenly and let out a tiny sneeze which didn't go unnoticed by the two assassins watching the scene from higher ground.

"Are you getting sick dude," Annalise asked concerned as Monica looked at her and then shook her head.

"Nah, probably something meaningless, come on if we don't get out of here soon I will get sick," Monica added as she swam to the opposite shore from where the two assassins were as she pulled herself up and helped Annalise as well.

"Those two are certainly something special," Ezio murmured as he continued to watch them as they stood on the other end of the river looking up at them.

"They certainly are," Altair added form beside him as he continued to watch as well, his anger slowly but surely decreasing as he turned and jumped down from the building onto the bridge followed by Ezio to go and meet up with them.

Much to their shock they started to walk away from them exploring the deserted streets as the assassins followed behind watching them carefully, the sun starting to rise slowly marking the beginning of a new day.

"Ya' know you need to control your temper," Monica called back to them referring to Altair who in turn tensed once more and burned holes into her back.

"Look who's talking," Annalise commented sarcastically as Monica chuckled in reply.

"Hey man, at least I don't run after people with a blade trying to kill them," Monica replied as Ezio snickered as well…that was the bad thing about the old man, he had a short and dangerous temper.

"Well there was that one time-" Annalise started before she got cut off by Monica jumping back in surprise while backing into Altair who caught her before she fell as they all looked at a throwing knife that had been thrown at her and imbedded itself inches from her into the ground.

"What the fuck is that man?" Monica yelled panicked, all she needed right now was someone trying to kill her, what a wonderful life.

"Well, maybe they threw it on accident," Annalise commented trying to make her friend feel better as Monica sank back more into Altair's arms feeling safer there than anywhere else as they all looked around for any signs of life.

"Infidel!" a guards voice echoed from behind them as Ezio spun around and threw his own knife at the guard hitting him straight through the neck as blood sprayed out before he collapsed still trying to breathe as life drained away from him.

Monica trying to back away only to realize that she was still against Altair, his hold now becoming protective as he held her closer to him while she looked away in embarrassment, she never intended to be this close to the assassin, never.

"We have to get them out of here," Altair ordered as Ezio looked around making sure no one was there as he retrieved his knife and dragged the body away from sight before returning and nodding at the older assassin.

"Move," the Arab whispered into Monica's ear as she nodded and started to run away with Annalise only to stop and look back noticing they weren't coming.

"Aren't you coming?" Annalise said desperately as she looked back at them while both assassins stood in the middle of the bridge in case some more guards had heard of the commotion.

"Run," Ezio ordered once he picked up the distinctive sound of armor coming towards them as the highschool girls hesitated in doing so.

"But-" Monica started worried beyond belief as she was cut short.

"Run!" Altair growled looking back at her as she jumped slightly at his tone, she didn't want to leave him, but what other choice did she have.

After a few more seconds and exchanged silent goodbyes both of the girls took off running towards the bureau hoping to make it there and wait for the pair of assassins to come back.

"Shit their right behind us!" Annalise yelled as Monica glanced behind her to see three guards, swords ready, running after them calling them every name they possibly could as they continued to run as they rounded a corner and ran into two guards.

"Look what we have here boys!" the captain called out as the remaining guards surrounded them, "looks like we'll be having fun tonight," he added as he tried to touch Annalise who immediately spat at his hand.

"Feisty one I see," he replied as he looked at Monica and then at the guard behind her, he nodded to him as he grabbed her arms and pulled them painfully behind her back as she cried out.

"We got ourselves some keepers," another guard added pressing himself up against Monica as she dropped her head in embarrassment, this couldn't be happening to her.

"Leave her alone!" Annalise barked out at him as another guard grabbed her as well and proceeded to dragging her off along with her friend back to headquarters where they could all have their fun despite all their thrashing and protesting uttering every foul word they could possibly think of hoping to upset the guards even more, hell what else could they do?

"Fuckin' hell!" Monica yelled outraged once they started to push her along trying to get her to walk as she squirmed up against the guard who remained painfully close to her earing herself a pleasurable groan from him every time she tried to get away but ended up pressed even closer to him.

Much to their dismay the bastards had taken advantage of the early morning since no one was around to help them as they continued to make their way through the city without any obstacles presenting themselves whatsoever.

As they neared the headquarters both of the girls just hoped that the assassins would notice they were gone, but most importantly, they hoped that they would actually care enough to come and get them out of there before things really got out of hand…

**Alright review...or I WILL hunt you down...next chapter should be up wayyy sooner than this one, and longer too so dont lose faith :D Till then, auf wiedersehen**!


	5. Phantom Of The Opera

**Phantom Of The Opera**

**So as an apology for the long wait I decided to update this sooner instead of making you poor souls wait :D and yet there are still some of you who refuse to review...oh well I cant hunt down all of you :D So here it is!  
**

"Where do you want us to put them captain?" the guard who was holding Annalise asked as they reached the massive wooden doors which beckoned then in to the headquarters of the city.

"Anywhere for now, no body touches them till I give permission, understood?" the captain told them as a choir of grunts and groans came from the obviously unhappy guards wishing to just entertain themselves with the two girls.

"Hey watch it fucker!" Monica yelled as the guards grip tightened painfully around her wrists, "that's gonna leave a damn mark asshole," she growled as another got tired of her arrogance and slammed his fist into her stomach causing her to double over in pain.

She struggled to breathe as tears streamed in her eyes, her remarks always did get her into trouble. It was in her nature, she couldn't help it. She regretted opening her mouth as she bit down on her lip which started to bleed due to the pressure of her bite.

"What the hell was that for?" Annalise yelled outraged as she struggled to get out of the grasp of the guard that was holding her, if it was something she didn't stand, it was to see someone mess with her partner in crime.

Monica looked up painfully at her and glared, Annalise biting her bottom lip catching onto her friends pleads; she didn't want her to get hit as well.

After a moment of silence Monica managed to compose herself and stand without the help of the guard as she literally hissed at the one who had hit her, if looks could kill, the guard would have been long gone by now.

"Just put them in a holding cell, away from each other before you kill one of them," one of the guards suggested as they all nodded in agreement; after all they didn't want to lose their precious treasure that quickly, the fun had yet to begin.

"Oh and do put something in their mouths, we can't have them calling out for help once everyone wakes up," another snickered as several threw each other dirty looks as the captain shook his head at the sight of his men acting up like this.

"In your fucking dreams!" Annalise spat at them as several of the men looked at her lust in their eyes, while she was dragged off towards the cell that was at the bottom of long hallway, as she passed the previous cells, while prisoners looked up at her with pity in their eyes.

The guards of Jerusalem were known for one thing, and one thing only, brutality. If they didn't get what they wanted the easy way their resorted to violent methods, usually ending in the death of the prisoner they were interrogating.

She sighed in desperation as they continued to lead her to the furthest cell in the corridor, shoving her in roughly once they opened the wooden door and slammed it immediately once she recovered and tried to run out.

"Damn it man! Damn it all to hell!" she yelled from within the cell as she banged on the door with her fists and then tried to kick it down to no success.

She sighed in anger as she looked around her tiny cell; at least she had a window in the top right corner, a small bed pressed up against the wall and a small table to her left with a cup of water.

"Great room service," she added sarcastically climbing on top of the bed to reach for the bars on the windows to see if they were sturdy.

"Fuck," she hissed once she noticed there was no way in hell that they would budge. She sighed as she slid down the wall and landed dully on the bed sitting on it while gluing her eyes on the door, praying that they would be out by nightfall before things went from bad to worse.

Monica on the other hand wince once she way how they had thrown her friend into her cell, she wished she could have kicked the guards ass, that would have taught him to treat women better.

She growled lowly once they tried to get her into a cell as well as she tried to bite the hands of the guard who had her in his grip.

"Bring that one over here to me, she needs to be taught how to respect men first," the captain ordered as Monica's eyes widened, this wasn't going to end well.

She was forcefully pushed down onto the captain's lap as she squirmed trying to get away.

"Stop moving," he growled into her ear as she froze, she didn't want to die just yet, she still had stupid things to try and do, but she didn't like to take orders either.

She looked back at the damn captain in rage as she took notice of how close they really were, their noses practically touching each other, her chocolate eyes locking with his emerald ones.

"You're a pretty little thing aren't you, just like your friend, except I prefer dark haired women," he told her as she blushed none the less, he didn't seem like the rest of the guards, he seemed to actually behave himself, perhaps that's why he was the captain.

For a moment Monica wished she was blond rather than black haired so she could have gotten put into a cell as well and not having to deal with the captain of the guard of Jerusalem.

She remained silent as the captain looked her over, her peculiar clothing still causing no reaction from him, she looked at the rest of the guards who continued to give her dirty looks as she looked out through the window, her mind setting on something in particular, or rather someone.

Gold eyes haunting her mind as it filled with the brief memories of a certain assassin. She would give anything to be with him once more and away from all of the bastards surrounding her, anything.

Her mind being brought back down to earth once she felt the arms of said captain wrap around her waist as she started to squirm once more as he forced her to stay put in his lap, enjoying his show already as he chuckled.

"You are a virgin, correct?" he asked making her stop and look away from him, the deepest shade of red she could ever possibly hope to have settling on her face as the captain laughed from beneath her.

"Her friend is probably one too, now there's a find captain!" a guard snickered sending choir of laughs to erupt from the guards as they all wished for time to go by faster till nightfall.

"Pardon me for actually giving a damn about who I let get close to me like that," she hissed at the captain as he smiled back at her, his charming good looks which had worked countless times before with many women taking no effect on her.

"You need someone who knows how to handle you when their your first, none of these idiots deserve you," he replied making sure only she heard as she struggled to get away once more, she was not going to lose her virginity here, and neither was Annalise.

"In your dreams you son of a bitch!" she yelled at him as he smirked back at her, they would see who had the last laugh after tonight, she had long noticed the obvious bulge in his pants as she got a wicked idea just before the guards took her away as she grinned wickedly.

"I always laugh last love," she replied as they dragged her away but not before she managed to knee him right in the crotch causing him to double over in pain just as she had done so before.

She stuck out her tongue playfully as they dragged her away and shoved her into a cell down the corridor as well, the captain looking at her with a determined look in his eyes as he tried to recover from the painful blow she had landed to his privates.

He ran a hand through his short black hair as he then rubbed his temples, "post some guards near their doors, if anyone tires anything, call for me," he added as he picked up his sword and holstered it to his belt on his waist, "and one more thing…I find out any of you tried to touch them…I'll have your heads," he replied just before leaving and slamming the door behind him.

Annalise smiling despite herself since she had been pressed up at the door the whole time, she could already picture what had happened, no doubt that would have hurt the Captain. She laughed slightly; if they got out of this one she would congratulate her partner later.

It then occurred to her that the assassins had no idea where they were, or that they had even been taken. She cursed underneath her breath as she looked for a way out of their predicament. She drew a blank; they were screwed if they didn't come up with something and soon.

"Kid…you there?" she called out hoping to hear her friend's voice.

"Of course, where else would I be? Lala land?" Monica replied earning herself a chuckle from her friend.

"What the fuck are we gonna do?" Annalise asked as she heard a pause on the other end, no doubt Monica had started to think.

"Our only hope would be to wait for the guys, if they even give a damn about us," Monica replied as Annalise sighed out loud, that was the problem…did they really care about them enough to get them out of there or would they just forget about them. Pretend like they had never even met, she scowled at the idea, she hoped that they would show, but how would they know where to start looking?

They sat there in their cells thinking of ways out as the day dragged on slowly, the sun starting to set as they gave up all hope of rescue.

"Kid…if we don't make it, could you sing just one more time?" Annalise requested as Monica sighed in disappointment as well, turns out things were going to hell after all.

"Anything for our last night alive," she replied as she cleared her throat and began, putting all of her anger, disappointment, grief, helplessness, and hope into the song which had caused many memories to come back to her.

Annalise sat back and waited for her friend to start, after all they only had a couple of hours left, she looked out through the window to see the sky splashed with orange, pink, red and yellow and closed her eyes letting the breeze flow around her, carrying all of the aromas of the city outside…of freedom.

"Phantom of the Opera…not a bad choice kid," Annalise commented listening to Monica as her voice echoed throughout the headquarters making everyone go quiet.

"Sing my angel of music," Annalise added quietly as she closed her eyes once more and allowed her head to fall back in defeat, if she was going to die, she was going to die listening to a song from Nightwish.

It wasn't until the song was over and the familiar sounds of light footsteps just outside her window startled her as her eyes flew open and shot towards the opening in her cell.

She could have sworn her heart skipped a beat once she saw the familiar faces starring back at her through the bars, as one of the assassins reached in offering his hand which she quickly took and looked up at him with relief…music had saved them after all.

"We could have sworn we heard an angel calling out for help…seems we found you two due to the singing, after all who else would in their right mind would sing in this place," the Italian spoke as tears clouded her vision which quickly streamed down her face as she laughed quietly in pure relief.

"I thought you guys had forgotten about us," she cried softly and yet joyously as the Italian brushed the tears away with a wave of his leather covered thumb across her cheek as she smiled brightly at him, as he too returned the smile.

Both of them startled when they heard some shuffling from the other cell, "Alright, we've waited long enough for this," one of the guards added before he let out a painful yell.

"The bitch bit me!" he exclaimed as Ezio looked at Annalise as she started to laugh quietly at her friend while Altair looked over the Italians shoulder too see the familiar face of one of the girls in need of rescuing…but where in Allah's name was the other one?

"Now don't make me use force on you," another voice called out…one that both assassins recognized by now, the captain's.

"Up yours captain!" Monica yelled back at him with venom in his voice as Altair's lips twitched into a half smirk, that's where the other one was.

"What are you doing?" Annalise asked as Ezio broke the bars of the window and dropped down into the cell with Annalise followed by Altair who looked like he could kill anything that so much as irritated the man.

"Damn whore! Do not talk to our captain like that!" another voice called out as a hard smack was heard followed by a soft whimper.

"I'll talk to him however I damn please!" Monica yelled back clearly still in pain as the same guard kneed her yet again causing her to drop down to her knees gasping in pain.

"I've had enough," Altair growled as he brushed past Ezio and Annalise and practically tore down the door, hidden blade ready as he slit the throat of the guard whom he had the closest. His body dropping to the ground in a dull thud as the rest of the guards turned to look at the assassin in rage.

"Kill him!" The captain called from within the cell he was in, Monica crying in pain at his feet along with another guard who stood by the captain, a mocking grin on his face which quickly disappeared once he locked eyes with Altair, fear replacing any other emotion in the guards eyes at the raw fury that the assassin could show through a simple glare.

"He knows you hit her," the captain whispered to his friend, or rather right hand man, confirming Altair's suspicions as he and Ezio cut through the mass of guards, but not without getting some new wounds themselves.

The bodies of ten guards lay at their feet, at seeing this the rest of the guards ran out, scared and wishing to keep their lives, at the head of the mob, the captain and his right hand man.

The Arabian assassin about to run after them and watch them squirm in his grasp when he tortured them only to be stopped by the Italian.

"Now is not the time amico mio," Ezio added shaking his head as Altair seethed within, although his features didn't show it, he wanted blood for what had been done to her in his presence, and when the master assassin wanted something he got it sooner or later.

He made a mental note to remember the faces of the cowards that had done this to the two girls they had just rescued.

"Monica?" Annalise's soft voice brought the assassins back to reality as she crouched next to her friend to see if she was ok, "speak to me man your starting to scare me," Annalise added as Monica opened one eye slowly as tears streamed down her face.

"It hurts like a bitch and you want me to talk to you?" Monica spat back although Annalise took no offence to it, at least all hope wasn't lost.

"Come on we need to go before more of them get here," Ezio added as Monica struggled to pick herself up, but managed to do so on her own none the less as she limped to the doorway and leaned heavily on it.

"Did they do anything else to you?" Altair asked, gold eyes burning into chocolate ones as they looked at each other for a moment.

"No, you made it just in time," she replied holding her stomach in pain, her bruised wrists catching his attention as he examined them carefully with his eyes, and as every second went by he wanted the blood of the captain and his men more and more.

Ezio and Annalise exchanging glances as the Italian took her hand and kissed it, "Did they lay a hand on you bella?" he asked concerned as she smiled back at him.

"No, thank god, Monica took the worst of it, thanks to that mouth of hers," Annalise replied sending her friend a glance as Monica rose her middle finger at her.

"Fuck you kid," she growled still in pain even though she was right, her mouth would be the death of her one of these days.

"See what I mean?" Annalise replied as she started to laugh while Monica glared at her, she couldn't laugh, unless she wanted a wave of pain to flow through her body.

"Can we just get out of here?" she asked softly looking at Altair as he turned to look at her and nodded once and headed towards the door of the entrance and held it open as they all walked out of there making sure that no other guards saw them.

Somewhere along the way back to the bureau Ezio found his hand had a mind of its own as it grasped Annalise's own as she looked at him in surprise and smiled while he threw her one of his famous sheepish grins once he noticed she made no objections of it.

Monica wincing in pain with every step she took as she walked slowly next to Altair as she paused slightly and leaned up against a wall, the assassin next to her stopping as well and standing behind her as he motioned for Ezio to continue walking with a gesture of his hand as the Italian nodded and left the pair behind, Annalise still at the assassins side holding his hand.

"I feel so useless," Monica added from in front of Altair as he tilted his head, he truly did not understand the girl before him, and it fascinated him.

"How so?" he replied to her as she tried to walk again but stopped abruptly when the pain returned full force as she leaned back against him causing him to tense.

"I can't even save myself," she replied to him as he looked up at the full moon above them, shining down and illuminating the now empty streets.

"But you did, with that voice of an angel that you have," he replied in her ear as she blushed and looked back at him, her breath caught in her throat unwillingly, that had been the first time she had ever seen him smirk, it amazed her and seemed to hypnotize her.

"Hey old man let's get going already!" Ezio called back to them snapping them both out of their trance as Monica looked down in embarrassment while Altair just glared at the Italian who seemed way too hyper for the time of night.

"Might as well," Monica sighed as she pushed herself off of him and stumbled slightly before his hand wrapped around her neck slightly steadying her. He let go as soon as she had balanced herself out and walked next to her once more as a light breeze settled over them.

"I will kill those bastards…" Altair whispered mostly to himself although Monica heard it too as they caught up to Ezio and Annalise at the entrance of the bureau.

"Why?" Monica asked, it's not like they had nearly killed any of them or scarred them for life, while Ezio helped her up on the roof followed by Annalise, as both of the girls dropped down into the bureau to be greeted by Malik who had a worried expression on his face.

"For touching what is mine," Altair growled to her as he and Ezio turned to leave once more while both of the girls looked after them.

The pair disappeared like two ghosts in the night, making no noise, no indication that they were there. They both looked at each other, the rage that they had been holding back now clear on both of their expressions, "Ready?" Ezio asked as he checked his hidden blade.

Altair nodded, he didn't know why he had been so protective of Monica lately, or why he had told her what he did, it left his mind in a haze. But nevertheless he nodded as they both set off to find two very…very unlucky bastards.

**Review! Review! Ah whats the point...half of you seem to ignore me hehehe :D**


	6. You Can Run But You Cant Hide

**You Can Run...But You Cant Hide...**

They moved swiftly across the rooftops, their steps being drowned out by the sudden thunderstorm that had fallen on the land as darkness swept over the land.

The only movement that could be seen where the two white figures totally drenched running as if the devil himself was after them behind a pack of soldiers, their armor clanging loudly as they all ran for their lives, their legs aching in protest, both sides out of breath, but neither of them going down without a fight.

"We cannot hope to keep this up any longer," one of the guards panted as he followed swiftly behind his captain, the rain hitting him head on blurring his vision from time to time as he looked back to see the assassins closing in, a chill running up his spine, he didn't want to get caught, everyone knew that they would be killed slowly and painfully if they stopped running.

"He has a point, we have to do something," another added as the captain refused to slow down or show any signs of stopping, on the contrary he increased the pace as their boots splashed through countless puddles of water, their once white robes now covered with dark mud.

"Break up, they will have to follow separately, there is where we will kill them," the captain shouted back at his men, they were all out of breath and panting loudly behind him as he turned to look at his right hand man and nodded while he took half of the group and skidded around a corner heading in a different direction.

A few losing their footing as they slid into the wall and ramming face first into it, but regaining it just as quick once they noticed the assassins jumping down from the roofs to follow more closely and lessen the numbers of soldiers.

"You take the group headed towards the gates, I'll handle the captain," Altair growled to Ezio as he did a leap of faith and landed in the center of the stack of hay at the bottom, while it wasn't as much comfort as to when it was dry, it still had use as he quickly gathered himself and ran after the group that was heading towards the chapel.

He couldn't quite place the seething rage he had as soon as his eyes landed on the back of the captain, it was something that started in his chest and spread throughout his body like a burning fire wishing to consume anything in its path. He shook the thought away, he knew why he wanted their blood, he was an assassin, trained to murder without second thoughts, to have no feelings whatsoever. But somewhere, deep, deep in his mind he knew that laying hands on a woman in the manor that they had done was wrong.

But as much as he tried to deny it, it hadn't been just any woman to him, he had saved plenty over the years while scouting for his targets, Ezio had done the same, they would just get them out of the hands of the guards and leave without glancing back, but somehow, the one back at the bureau held something of his in her hand, something fragile, something that could destroy a person's soul if not handled with care…something so delicate that all it needed were simple words to shatter into a million pieces.

Although he doubted she had noticed, he was good at hiding emotions; years of training had made him cold, uncaring, and distant from everyone. Although something inside him just had him seeing red if she was so much as touched by another man. He wanted revenge, and what the master assassin wanted, he got.

He doubted she cared for him like he did with her, only time would tell, and even then…he didn't know how much time he had left to be in her company…what if she were to suddenly go back to that world of hers…the future, at least that's what they had called it.

No doubt it would surely devastate not only him but Ezio as well, Malik would surely miss them annoying him as well…it had only been three days, and they had already made their way into their lives. Although sooner or later if time permitted they would have to be introduced into the creed, maybe not as assassins, as he would be sure the men would object to the idea of having women assassins, but perhaps as something else.

He picked up his pace, his once quiet and calculated steps turning into rapid and desperate echoes as he ran after the group, reaching down to his waist where he held his throwing knives and pulled three out, the exact number of guards running behind the captain.

He drew back his hand and let one of the precious knives fly through the air cutting through the rain as it landed where he had aimed, directly behind the neck of one of the guards as he stumbled and reached for the knife as he stopped running and choked, his companions glancing to see why he had stopped and running even harder once they saw the crimson liquid coating the soldiers armor, mixing with the rain as it ran down his chest as he clenched his throat fighting to breathe and stay alive.

He went down on his knees as he choked once more, the life draining out of him as he saw the men he had worked with for so long abandon him and run for their own lives, the last thing he saw before death took him into its cold embrace was the mere blur of the assassin running past him, the white figure resembling an eagle as it flew after its prey, swift and calculating, confident it would win.

The soldier fell onto his face in the cold mud as rain continued to pour down, his eyes closing shut as he let out his last breath, blood still pouring down from his neck as Altair continued to run after the captain, one guard down, two more to go.

He skidded around a corner to catch sight of the guards fleeing down an alleyway he knew well, he ran up the side of the building and pulled himself up quicker than he had ever though himself capable of as he ran to the end of the roof and jumped, feeling the cold air around him as a shadow fell over the guard running at the back of the pack, an eagle's shadow to be exact as the assassin landed heavily on top of him.

His hidden blade imbedding itself deep into the guards neck as Altair sneered at the horrified face the other guard made when he looked back, the sickening cracking of bones causing the captain to look back as well as he saw Altair driving his blade even deeper and twisting it in an inhuman way causing even more pain to erupt in the guard he had beneath him as he too went limp in the assassins presence, a rough tug on his blade causing it to come out brutally and blood to spray out and land on his white robes and face.

"He's going to kill us all," the guard mumbled shaking in fear as he tried to run away only to have the assassin react faster and send a blade flying after him, striking him directly in the back as Altair walked over calmly seeing how the captain was paralyzed as he watched the assassin finish what he had started.

"Shh, it will be over soon," Altair whispered as he took the handle of the blade and ran it up the spine of the guard who convulsed violently while letting out a bloodcurdling yell of agony which sent chills up the captain's spine and caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand as he fought the feeling of throwing up once he head the bones of the spine and ribs being broken by the assassin who had his foot on the dead soldier's back as he continued to apply pressure.

The rib cage giving away also as its bones snapped one by one, the captain was relieved that the soldier had died soon, if he were still alive, it would have been god awful to watch, even now as his body got mutilated by the assassin the captain couldn't help but wonder…why?

"What did I do to you?" he yelled in the assassin's face as Altair resisted the urge to laugh at such a stupid question, but nonetheless his body started to shake as a low nerve wrecking laughter erupted from his lips, causing his body to tremble in amusement. How dare he ask why? How dare he not know what he had done…who he had messed with?

"You and your dogs seize to amuse me, how dare you be so arrogant? How dare you ask me such a question!" Altair snapped, before he collected himself, he owed nothing to the rat he had before him, so why bother in giving him an actual explanation, why engage in conversation and prolong his death?

"If this is about the girl, I swear I did not do any-" he started before his own words caught in his throat once the assassin rose from the body of the soldier and looked at him directly, he then started to walk towards him in a slow mocking pace, as if testing if he would bolt or not.

He let out a grateful sigh once the assassin brushed right past him and started to leave, much to his shock and utter relief before he heard him halt behind him.

"You will learn not to mess with what is mine," the assassin added just before he delivered a hard blow to the back of the captain's head as he collapsed to the floor unconscious, while Altair looked up at the dark grey sky as a bolt of lightning danced across the sky.

He then looked down at the captain and used his boot to move his face to the side, "I have barely begun with you," he whispered to him as he bent down and swung the body over his shoulder while heading towards the gates to see if Ezio had any luck with his target.

Ezio on the other hand had massacred everyone as well in his mad chase, his robes much like Altair's were now drenched in blood as he bent over to get the captain's right hand man, as he too swung him over his shoulder and glanced back to see Altair coming through an ally with none other than the captain himself as he approached Ezio in a slow pace checking to see it there were any guards around.

"What happened?" Altair demanded as soon as he saw blood running down Ezio's shoulder drenching his robes even more.

"One of them caught me off guard, I killed the bastardo," Ezio added looking down in shame under the gaze of the older assassin who somehow always managed to look down on him, Ezio glanced back up to see if the Arab had any wounds of his own.

"What about you?" the Italian asked pointing to a blood splatter on Altair's leg. The older assassin let out a chuckle as he patted Ezio's shoulder making the younger assassin wince in pain.

"That is not mine," Altair replied as he started walking away as Ezio scowled, how could he get away without a single scratch on him was beyond his comprehension as he followed after him quickly in order to catch up as they passed the city gate's and headed towards the outer parts of town with the two soldiers still unconscious on their shoulders.

"We are here," Ezio added as he stood outside an abandoned house on a good distance from the city and out of the range of hearing.

"Very well," Altair added as he too made his way inside grateful to be out of the rain for once as he glanced around and allowed the captain to slip out of his grip to crash down on the dirt floor in a painful manner as his body woke up as pain shot through him.

His eyes widened once he saw the two assassin looming over him as Altair placed his boot on his chest pinning him in place, "Where do you think you're going?" he asked in a low voice laced with steel as the captain froze in place as Ezio moved away and sat the still unconscious guard on a chair while tying his hands with some sharp looking thorns which dug into his wrists causing a trickle of blood to escape as he woke up also, his eyes widening in fear once he looked around the dark house.

"I am sure you both know why you are here," Ezio added as he took a sledgehammer from the corner of the small room and handed it over to Altair who took it and motioned for Ezio to tie the captain to a chair as well.

Once they were both tied down the two assassins stood before them in a mocking manner, their roles had been reversed, they had gone from hunter to prey in the short period of a day, all because of two girls.

"Wait! We'll give you anything! Just please don't do this!" The captain exclaimed as the soldier beside him started to shake uncontrollably, they were going to die, and he knew it.

"The only thing we want is your life, and you already gave it to us," Ezio commented evilly as he looked at Altair as he twirled the sledgehammer in his hands in anticipation.

"This should teach you never to mess with women," the Arab added as he nodded to Ezio who held the captains legs out as he tried to kick the assassin off while squirming in the seat trying to get away, yelling the whole time for them to have mercy.

Altair taking one more moment to look at their terrified faces before he swung the hammer back and brought it down on one of his knees as the bones shattered and broke the moment it made contact with him. The soldier beside him jumping in horror as he saw what was being done as his screams of pure agony flooded all of their ears as tears streamed down his face as Altair moved towards his other leg.

"NO! NO! YOU BASTARD!" the captain yelled wishing he would just die as the assassin brought down the hammer once more as he choked in pain once more and allowed himself to just let go, it was too much to take, no one should go through what was being done to him…no one.

"Ezio take care of yourself before you bleed to death," Altair ordered as the Italian made no objections and sat down on the table that was on the opposite side from where the other assassin was torturing the two guards.

The captain still yelling out curses in both Arabian and other languages as the soldier next to him closed his eyes trying to forget what he had just seen as Altair frowned at him, this all had a purpose, and he couldn't shut his eyes, he had to witness everything that went on.

"Open your eyes or I will cut you eyelids off," he warned in a low voice as the soldier's eyes instantly flew open in fear as he shook violently once the assassin approached his with the sledgehammer.

"Good," the assassin added as he threw the hammer aside and moved on to his blade.

"Just kill me already!" the captain sobbed in agony as a wicked smile spread across Altair's expression, that's what he wanted to hear.

"Were far from done," Altair added as Ezio looked up at his partner, his shoulders were hunched over, his head was tilted amused to the side, and his stance was intimidating, if he was in the guard's position, he would have committed suicide well before Altair got a hold of him.

"I must say gentlemen, you landed in the hands of Jerusalem's best torturer," Altair added as he took out various objects from his pouch on the side of his waist and laid them out on the table away from the view of the guards.

Ezio tensed as soon as he got a sight of the various objects before him as he glanced up at Altair who still had a straight face while the Italian shuddered in slight fear, he would defiantly preferred death rather than being tortured by Altair. He withdrew his gaze as he continued on patching up his shoulder while lightning flashed outside followed by booming thunder making the land rumble beneath them.

"Let's get started," the older assassin added as her turned from the table with a simple knife in hand as he walked over slowly to the captain, those green eyes of his bothered the assassin, and they would be the first thing to go…

**Alright, we have a torture session up next! :) Review! Dont just add teh damn thing to alert! Dont do it! Does anyone else know what it feels like to just see 'Story Alert' and not 'Review Alert'? And for those of you who have reviewed, you have my respect :D Till next time mein freunde. **


	7. Replaced By A Cat!

**Replaced...By A Cat!**

**So here it is finally! For those of you who just wished to see blood spilt in this chapter my apologies, it will be in the next do not worry :D**

"Don't you think we should just kill them Altair?" Ezio asked nervously backing up against a wall as the Devil himself turned to look at him pausing from advancing on the captain.

The younger assassin gulped nervously, the Arab before him had a reputation, he was the best torturer in all of the Middle East. The best. Personally, he didn't want to hear the screams from his victims if all of the stories he had heard were true, Altair could be an animal when he wanted to, though it rarely took over him like it was doing so now.

"I uh…I mean, we could just uh…" the Italian stuttered trying to come up with a good excuse for interrupting the older assassin as a thought ran through his mind and escaped his mouth before he could think it through.

"What would she think of you if she saw you like this?" he blurted out backing up against the wall as Altair's shoulders fell instantly and his head snapped to look at Ezio in a dangerous manner.

The Italian struck a personal chord with the master assassin, and he knew it. Altair on the other hand had gotten a reality check as he glanced down at the hand that held the dagger as he glanced back up at the horrified face Ezio was hiding underneath his hood. He then turned to look at the captain who by this time was completely breaking down and sobbing as his other guard tried to comfort him watching helplessly beside him.

He knew it was wrong, he didn't even want to think of the girl back at the bureau, Ezio was right…what would she think of him if she saw what he was doing right now? But hell…he wanted revenge.

"Damn it Ezio," he growled underneath his breath as he turned suddenly and imbedded the dagger deep in the captains throat as he pushed it in even further blood spraying out and staining his white robes as he growled and twisted it while opening the captains throat even more.

The captain's horrified green eyes locking with his golden ones full of rage, they broke eye contact when the man beneath the assassin passed on to the other life, his body going limp as his eyelids closed shut.

Ezio choking slightly and looking down, he felt sorry for the man but at least he had died quickly, he couldn't quite say painlessly but at least he hadn't suffered for long.

His gaze returning to his partner as he composed himself and stood straightening himself up as he then turned to look at the guard who by this time was shaking in genuine fear as the assassin neared him, it was only then that he noticed he was rather young, perhaps even younger than Ezio.

"If I ever see you again…I will kill you without thinking twice," Altair whispered to him as he reached behind the guard and cut off the restraints as he grabbed him by the collar of his metal armor and dragged him to the door. He kicked it open and shoved the guard outside as he looked back in surprise and ran for his life down into the city once more.

"Why did you let him go?" Ezio asked surprised as Altair turned to look at him and kicking the door closed. The look on the Arab's face said it all as Ezio nodded, his words had truly affected the grand master after all.

"It's nearly morning, we should be getting back, we might have to change the location of the bureau," Ezio commented as Altair remained silent the whole time, the Italian could tell he still wanted blood, but he couldn't help but thank the force that had stopped a torture session from starting in his presence.

The whole way back the guards had avoided them, it would stay that way for a while, at least until the kid Altair let go got it back together and composed himself and commanded the guards as the new captain, for now…everything was chaos.

But chaos also had its benefits, it helped the assassins out quite a bit, they could walk through the streets without worrying about the guards, not to mention it made their contracts much easier.

They soon made it back to the bureau as the sun shined brightly down on them, making the heat unbearable, it was on days like this were Ezio just wished the Grand Master would get over his fear of water and learned to swim, that way he wouldn't have to go alone to cool off, perhaps the girls would kindly accompany him…Bad idea, suggesting such a thing would probably earn him a smack to the back of the head from the older assassin, or an attempt at murder due to Altair being so tense.

Truth be told Ezio couldn't wait to be back at the bureau and away from Altair, the Italian could feel the hate just pouring out of the older assassin, and it was suffocating him.

He dropped down not really caring to make a quiet entrance followed by Altair who landed quietly as always as they both froze in surprise once they glanced around.

Both of the girls were sleeping, no doubt exhausted from the events that had happened over the past few days as the assassins just stared at them for what seemed ages.

Annalise suddenly waking up as she sat up and rubbed her eyes before glancing up at the pair that just stood there looking at her. She frowned once she noticed they were both covered in blood.

"It is not what it seems," Ezio started as she motioned them to stay quiet, Monica shifting slightly and turning to her side as Annalise glanced at her friend hopping she wouldn't wake up, she needed sleep the most.

"She barely managed to fall asleep," Annalise told them as Ezio nodded and offered his hand to help her up as they both walked in to the part where Malik was leaving Altair behind in the open part of the bureau. He was about to follow after them when something caught his attention.

He walked over to the sleeping highschooler and crouched next to her in the sea of pillows as he looked at the bit of exposed skin on the side of her hips, he gently rose her shirt ever so slightly to reveal what he had thought, bruises scattered everywhere as he froze once she shifted again still asleep.

His eyes narrowed dangerously once he noticed a trail of dried blood and followed it with his hand as he found a deep cut near her lower stomach, he couldn't help but growl, why had she kept this from him?

"Altair?" her soft voice broke him from his thoughts as he came crashing back down and glanced back at her, she had a sleepy look on her face as her eyes darted from the cut to him in panic.

"Why did you not tell me?" he asked quietly, his own voice shocked him, he had intended it to be angry at her, furious at the very least, but it came out quite the opposite, he almost sounded…concerned.

"It's nothing ok?" she replied quickly trying to avoid his question all together as he tensed. It's nothing? It would probably leave a scar…and yet she said it was nothing?

She flinched slightly when he tilted his head, he would never understand her, and the day he did Ezio would teach him how to swim.

"Get up, if that is not treated accordingly it will get infected," he told her holding out his hand as she took it after a moment of thought as he helped her up the wall and climbed up himself.

"We need to make a stop somewhere else, I can't go outside walking like this," he told her as he cut through an alleyway as she followed close behind as he went into an abandoned house that the creed used for supplying them with important tools as he walked over to a wardrobe and opened it. Sure enough his black grand master clothes were there.

She turned to look out of the window in embarrassment when he started to get dressed as if she wasn't even there. After a few seconds he tapped her on the shoulder as she turned to look at his new outfit. She had always preferred that one than his normal white robes.

After an approving nod from her they headed back outside to find the closest doctor. She didn't have to wait long as they rounded a corner and found a stand with a doctor who already had his eye on her since she had been holding her side the whole time.

"Ah good to see you again my friend, I see you brought someone new this time," the doctor commented eyeing Monica who stood behind Altair looking over his huge frame compared to hers as she looked at the doctor curiously.

"You guys are regular visitors here?" she asked Altair jokingly as she managed to crack a barely visible smirk out of the corner of his mouth with her humor.

"No, but Ezio should be coming here soon," he told her as she rose an eyebrow in curiosity once more before he stepped out of the way as the doctor lead her behind yet another curtain as the assassin followed behind.

"That's a nasty looking cut you have there young lady, how did you get it?" the doctor asked as he applied something that made Monica hiss and grab onto Altair's robes in pain as she gritted her teeth.

"I didn't play nicely with the rest of the boys and girls," she replied jokingly as the doctor chuckled in response.

"I bet you didn't, it will leave a mark you know," he added looking up at her as she frowned slightly.

"Glorious," she replied sarcastically as he finished up and wrapped a bandage around it. She tossed a few coins at him, worth more than the job he had done as they walked away leaving the doctor to stare at his hand with the gold coins in it, it was an equivalent to a week of work and yet she had just given it to him without a second thought.

They were about to head back when she wandered off form Altair's side and got distracted with all of the stands in the market place.

"Since we are already here we should go and pick up your clothes," the assassin suggested as Monica drew back her finger from a cage that held a hawk she had been teasing and looked up at him and nodded.

By the time they arrived at the stand the merchant had already been expecting them as he held out the pieces of clothing for her.

"You mind if I change?" she asked the merchant as he led her behind yet another curtain, Altair however staying behind this time to wait for her.

She came out a second later in black leather pants which clung tightly to her curves in a provocative manner and a black shirt with a matching leather vest and gloves, her boots topping the whole look off.

"Love it!" she told the merchant, he could tell she did, she was absolutely grinning from ear to ear as she examined her outfit calling the attention of several men as she stretched and bent down getting the feel of it.

Altair caught himself staring as well as he diverted his eyes elsewhere, but hell it was hard to when he had her doing all of those things right next to him. Several women stopping to see the merchant asking for the same outfit.

"Sorry ladies, it is one of a kind, I will not make duplicates," the merchant told them as they all left with scowls on their faces as Monica waved goodbye as they glared at her.

"What do you think?" she asked Altair and the merchant as she rested her hands on her hips and turned to look at them.

"Absolutely magnificent, I would have made it for no one else," the merchant added almost instantly as Altair struggled to say anything, he had not been anticipating her question.

"How about coming home with me honey!" one guard added as several more men joined in as Monica rolled her eyes and turned to look at them.

"In your dreams babe!" she called back mockingly causing a choir of laughs to erupt mocking the guard as she jumped suddenly feeling a pair of arms wrap around her waist. She glanced up to see Altair glaring at the guards who still remained hoping for a partner as he looked down at her.

"Play along," he whispered to her as she nodded slightly, "this one is already mine, sorry gentlemen," he called over as they all made noises of disappointment and went along their way finally leaving her in peace.

She frowned once his arms left her, she felt cold all of a sudden, she missed him being so close although she would never admit it out loud.

"They should not be a bother to you any more, they never mess with me," Altair told her, so that had been his plan all along; once the guards saw him 'claim' her they would no longer mess with her, clever.

"Well that's a bit selfish don't-OH MY GOD LOOK AT THAT CAT!" she yelled like an overjoyed child as the assassin jumped slightly being the twitchy person that he was. She literally ran from him once more to another stand as he shrugged at the merchant who threw him a questioning glance and followed after her quietly once more.

He didn't know if he could be serious around her for much longer once he caught up to her as he observed her cuddle with a black oriental cat as she hugged it close to her. He continued to watch until she finally noticed him staring and asked something he wasn't expecting.

"Can I buy it?" she asked with puppy dog eyes as he resisted the strong urge to face palm, her look along with the cat's own pleading one combined truly had him up against a wall with no way out.

After all Malik had a thing for cats as well, he just seemed to have a soft spot for the things, Altair could never understand him, or in this case her as she scratched the cats stomach earning herself loud purrs from the thing as she looked up at him waiting for an answer.

"Very well," he replied in a monotone voice as she smiled at him and handed the merchant the money for the animal and left cuddling with the thing towards the bureau, Altair by her side stealing glances now and then at her and then cat, the damn thing was stealing all of her attention…but why did he care? He sighed quietly once they reached said bureau as he helped her up and watched as she dropped down by herself landing quietly much to his surprise cat still in hand as she headed in to show Malik.

"He let you buy a cat?" Malik asked as she handed the animal over to him as he too cuddled with the thing, they always got to him.

Altair walking in to see both of them completely turned away from him facing the cat…the damn thing was stealing all of his people's attention…even Malik had fallen victim to the cat.

"What is the meaning of this, you wouldn't allow me to buy a cat and yet she already owns one?" Malik asked as he noticed an aggravated assassin standing on the doorway glaring at the two but most importantly at the cat which meowed back at him mockingly.

"Enjoy it will you can Malik, tomorrow we ride for Masyaf, they will be introduced into the order," Altair told him as Monica glanced over at him and for the first time since she got the cat turned all of her attention on to him.

"Wait, so were leaving Malik behind?" she asked sadly as she turned to look at the ex-assassin, she had become friends with him after all.

"Who's leaving who behind?" Annalise asked as she dropped down into the bureau followed by Ezio who had on a different set of robes showing off his high rank in the creed as he too walked in with a curious expression as he saw the cat toying with Malik's pen on the desk.

"And what is that cat doing here, don't tell me you managed to get him to buy a cat," he told Monica as she nodded while Ezio's mouth dropped open in shock, he was gone for twenty minutes to change clothes and get Annalise's as well and Altair was out buying cats and deciding trips.

"As I said so before, we leave at dawn for Masyaf, and Malik is coming as well, I arranged for his replacement while he is away," Altair told them heading out of the bureau leaving them all to think of tomorrow's trip as he climbed up the wall for some fresh air, today had been too eventful.

His mind wandered to one thing as the sun finally started to set, the cat. The damn thing would be the death of him one of these days…

**Review! :D**


	8. Stiglitz

**Stiglitz**

**So here it is mein freunde...it still amazes me, some of you just seem to show resistance in reviewing, your not scared that I'll snap at you right? Come on you guys put a smile on my face when you review! Hehehe, so do it!  
**

Annalise woke the next morning to something poking her side as she bolted up from her sleep and panicked, "OH MY GOD ITS FREDDY KRUGER!" she yelled half asleep as she kicked at the thing poking her thinking it was Kruger but instead earing herself a groan from Ezio as he held his leg in pain.

"Bloody hell kid quiet down," Monica murmured trying to sleep, the sun wasn't even up yet and Annalise was already up and about calling people Freddy Kruger, in the annoyed state that she was Monica found the strength to pick up a pillow and fling it at Annalise successfully hitting her in the back of the head as she chuckled.

"Sorry Ezio…I thought you were the guy from Nightmare on Elm Street," Annalise said as she rubbed the back of her head and looked at the Italian who was hopping on one foot holding his leg still in pain trying not to groan out loud, he learned an important lesson that day, never wake up sleeping highschoolers with poking, it never works out well.

"I said I'm sorry!" Annalise told him once more standing next to him helping him by allowing him to lean on her as he bit his bottom lip in pain.

"He's waiting already," Ezio managed to say as he finally got over the initial pain and looked over to see if Monica had woken already. Much to his relief she was already up and stretching without the drawbacks of being kicked inhumanly.

"Do we have to go? It's so early," Monica complained as Ezio nodded while she groaned and looked up again at the sky, the sun had yet to appear.

"Hurry up ladies, unless you want a grumpy Altair after you!" Malik called from the roof as Monica looked up at him and grinned mockingly.

"As if the bastard would dare show his face," she replied jokingly as Malik shrugged, the older assassin was standing behind him after all.

Altair suddenly poking up from behind Malik as his brow twitched in anger as she tensed visibly not expecting him to actually hear that. She sighed as Ezio helped Annalise up the wall and then turned to look at her.

"Don't forget the cat!" Malik chirped from the roof as Monica sighed once more, this was too early for her.

"Come here Stiglitz!" she called as the oriental cat came from the doorway and meowed loudly at her before trotting over and jumping up into her arms.

"You named it Stiglitz? Seriously?" Annalise asked as Monica chuckled and looked up at her.

"Yeah seriously, I love the guy!" Monica protested as she cuddled with the cat as it rose its face to rub the side of her cheek.

"Personally I always preferred Brad Pitt in that movie, but then again you do have a fetish for Nazi's," Annalise replied referring to the movie, Inglorious Bastards.

"Uh…sorry for the interruption but can we get going ladies?" Ezio added clearing his throat as Monica walked over and climbed up the wall as well with his help as she handed the cat to Annalise as it meowed loudly looking down at Monica missing his owner's hold.

"If that thing does not shut up I'm going to murder it," Altair commented from his place on the roof his back to the cat still refusing to acknowledge its existence.

Malik glancing at the older assassin, he had always been stubborn but this was just plain hate for the poor cat as it continued to meow until it was back with Monica.

"Stiglitz if you don't shut up Altair will make you into cat tacos," Annalise joked as the cat's ears flew back as if it could actually understand what she was saying to it.

"Why are we up so early?" Monica asked as they climbed down the roof and walked shortly through the streets before reaching some stables.

"Because guards are making their guard shifts right about now, there are less chances of running into them," Malik replied as she nodded in understanding. It was only when they got closer that she noticed there were only three horses.

"Ok…shouldn't there be five instead of three?" Annalise asked noticing as well as the Italian threw her a grin.

"Si, but since you two don't know how to ride them it would only slow us down," he commented as Annalise nodded and glanced at the three horses, "your riding with me bella," Ezio added as he mounted his steed and held out a hand for her as she took it without a second thought.

She settled behind him finding a comfortable place as she glanced back down at Monica who shifted in her spot awkwardly. She kept glancing at her cat and at the Arabian who mounted his own horse followed by Malik who mounted the third leaving here there.

"You are riding with me, the cat however is not," he told her as she frowned at him visibly and resisted the urge to stick out her tongue at him, she didn't want him to get irritated after all.

"Kid can you take it?" she asked as Annalise nodded instantly, she loved animals as well. She took the fur ball into her arms as it cried out for Monica as she walked away with a depressed look on her face towards Altair who looked at her face and felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Hell, he was not having the thing near him no matter what she did or if she started to break down.

She took his hand as he pulled her up on the horse and looked back to see her looking at the cat as it meowed loudly while reaching out to her with its front paws.

"Stiglitz be quiet!" Monica ordered looking at it as it immediately ceased it meowing obeying his owner. She then turned back to glare at the assassin's back as he spurred the horse on, it was only then that she realized her predicament, she had to hold him in order to remain on the horse and not fall off.

She hesitantly put one arm around his waist slowly still uncomfortable with the whole situation as she felt him tense as soon as she rested her arm in place, she found out soon though that one arm just wouldn't do. She had to wrap her other arm around him as well to maintain balance and not slip off. She could feel him tense even more, the man needed to learn how to relax, it's not like she would kill him or something.

"I'm not going to stab you Altair," she told him sarcastically unaware that the thought had even left her lips as he glanced back at her slightly.

"Really now?" he replied in an equally sarcastic tone which made her smirk, this trip was going to be fun.

"Don't you trust me being so near your throwing knives?" she replied mockingly, as if to prove her point she ran a provoking hand across the blades on the side of his hips resting in place, gleaming under the sun that was now up in the sky shining down on them.

"I'm just screwing with you," she replied laughing once she got no response from him as he tensed to the point where she thought he was a statue. She chuckled once more in amusement as he finally relaxed once she rested her head on his back still sleepy, they had woken her up early after all.

Altair on the other hand was wide awake and fully aware of the girl up against him, he didn't know why he had been so tense, and it was never due to the fact of the knives. It was just such a strange feeling having someone that close to him, he never allowed such close contact, never.

He glanced down at the pair of arms around his waist, he noticed the grip slightly lessen as he glanced back to find her sleeping, he caught her arms just as they were about to slip off and held then with one of his own preventing her from slipping off the horse which picked up pace as Malik's own steed caught up with his own, Ezio way up front showing off his riding skills to Annalise.

Malik glancing at the girl behind Altair and noticing she was sleeping as well as he brought his horse up to a trot next to Altair's, "Do not let her slip off novice," Malik teased earing himself a look from Altair at the sudden use of his nickname from the ex-assassin, it never failed to irritate him.

"I am not that incompetent," he replied making sure the grip he had on her hands didn't slip before glancing back up at Malik, "although having her in front would make this trip easier," he commented slightly irritated as the other Arab laughed at him.

Ezio on the other hand was up front, his horse running at a faster speed than that of his mentors who were in back of him as he continued to talk to her.

"So your telling me, you took Italian as a class?" he asked her as she laughed and nodded making him smile, so she did know what he was saying when he ranted on in Italian of course when he did it was always unintentional, he just missed his place of birth.

"Well yeah, while I took Italian Monica took German," she replied as Ezio's brow raised in curiosity, he had heard of this language, German, before.

"What does it sound like?" he asked her curiously as she laughed once more remembering the times her friend ranted on in German, although she only did so when she was in utter rage. German and rage mix well, at least that's what Annalise thought.

"She sounds like frickin Hitler when he's having one of his mental breakdowns," she replied before shaking her head, she had forgotten the time period she was in, Hitler wasn't even born yet, "scratch that you don't even know who that is…let's just say it's not a pretty sight, she rarely does it though," she replied as Ezio nodded, he himself sometimes had his own little meltdowns in Italian as well, but that was a conversation for another time.

The Italian glanced back to see his mentors riding side by side, talking by the looks of it as Altair glanced at him and glared none the less, Ezio sighing in amazement, even after all those years the old man still had that personality that bugged the Italian, the man needed to learn how to have fun…he had a feeling that the girl riding behind him would teach him a thing or two on that subject, he only hoped he was there to see it when she did.

After riding for a couple of hours, after all it took three days to get to Masyaf, they decided to make a stop to stretch their legs, feed the horses and give them some well needed rest. They pulled up on the side of a field with a tree line close by as they all dismounted the horse's eager to rest and eat.

"Wake up, were stopping," Altair whispered to Monica as he glanced back at her and shook her slightly, she woke in an instant blinking once or twice as she starred dumbfounded at Altair wondering why she was so close to him, her face going red once she took notice of how close they really were. She then remembered how she had gotten there as she cleared her throat and dropped her arms from around him as he too got off the horse and offered a hand to help her down.

She walked stiffly over to Annalise to find her looking at the Italian with curious eyes as he tried to start a fire to cook something to eat. He failed miserably as Malik walked by and started the fire in and instant, "and I did that with one hand," he commented to Ezio as the pair of girls erupted in laughter.

"Malik 1, Ezio 0," Annalise said mockingly as the Italian glanced back up at her and Monica who were wiping the tears away from their eyes at laughing so hard, he then turned to look at his own personal ice cube to find Altair smirking as well in amusement, the damn ice cube had as sense of humor after all.

"So what's for dinner?" Monica asked as she popped up behind Malik and looked over his shoulder as he stared out into the fields; it was a beautiful view, for those who could appreciate it at least.

"Rabbit," Ezio commented rather joyously as both of the girls looked at him in surprise.

"Rabbit?" they both asked at the same time as they looked at each other in surprise, neither of them had ever tasted rabbit before.

"Yes, and you're going to catch them," Altair commented as he looked at the pair who erupted into laughter once more at the mere thought of themselves actually being able to find a rabbit, much less catch one.

"Oh wait, you're serious?" Annalise asked once she noticed the assassin cross his arms quietly across his chest, his eyes burning into theirs determined to get them started on training, after all if they were going to be at the creed they needed to know the basics, starting now.

Yes Altair was serious, and they would learn that catching rabbits involved patience, hopping, stalking, falling face first and getting dirty in order to capture their meal, lets just say the cat didnt help much either.

**Review...I shall keep saying it until you do! :D**


	9. It Wasnt An Order It Was A Suggestion

**It Wasn't An Order...It Was A Suggestion**

**Alright so here it is! So sorry If i took long ^_^' nevertheless enjoy!  
**

Annalise paused slightly pressing her back up against a tree as she looked down at her hands and huffed in annoyance, she looked over at Monica who seemed hell bent on getting a damn rabbit even if it meant the death of them.

Monica glancing around and then at her arms which were stained with dirt, she silently thanked Malik for suggesting to them to change clothes, if she were wearing the leather outfit it would have been a goner by now, she was back in her original clothes, the shorts and tank top.

The hot Arabian sun was upon their exposed skin as they stood underneath the shade of the trees trying to plan out their next move. A light breeze dancing through the forest as they sighed in relief and wiped the sweat from their brows still holding a grudge on the master assassin for making them do this.

"This isn't going well," Annalise commented as she looked at Monica who in turn nodded and glanced around, they had wandered away from the camp they had made and from the assassins; she just hoped that they wouldn't need them.

"Ok, on three we jump on them got it?" Monica mouthed as she pointed at a family of rabbits that had barely come out of their rabbit hole and were currently grazing a few feet away from them, Annalise nodded as they both tensed and pounced on the rabbits.

They dove towards them as dust flew up and covered them followed by squealing from the rabbits and a few curses here and there. By the time the dust cleared they were already starting to stand up, each with a rabbit in hand grinning like children in a candy shop.

"Hell yeah!" Monica yelled throwing her free hand up in the air in a fist as Annalise laughed, personally she was glad they had finally caught some rabbits, it had been over three hours since they started the hunt and they were about to give it up.

She looked down at the grey rabbit she was holding and then at the white one Monica had, she felt sorry for the animals but they had to eat something, and right now cannibalism didn't sound too good.

"We should be getting back before it gets late," Annalise told her friend as Monica nodded in agreement while poking the stomach of the rabbit who in turn twitched wishing to be free once more. They started to walk back in silence enjoying their victory over the race of rabbits before something made both of them stop dead in their tracks. The familiar sound of armor which was dangerously close as they both dove underneath some bushes for cover just before a four man patrol strolled through the area.

Annalise was about to whisper something when Monica shook her head motioning her to stay quiet, the rabbits however saw this as means of escape and in turn started to squeal loudly much to the predicament of the two girls.

"Look at this," a guard added from behind them making them jump before they both scrambled up and started to run away, but not before the guard had any say in it.

"Oh no you don't," one added his arm shooting out as he took a fistful of Monica's hair and pulled her back causing her to whimper in pain and fall back into the guards arms.

Annalise turned to look at her partner in crime, she was about to run back to get her when another guard hooked his arms around her waist and pulled her away from her friend.

"Get the captain over here," the one holding Annalise told another guard who nodded and took off, he returned seconds later with someone Annalise and Monica both recognized, the new captain of the guard.

"Fancy seeing you two again," he told them as he placed his sword back onto is sheath at the side of his waist, he had been expecting bandits, thieves, assassins, anything but these two, he didn't consider them dangerous enough to use swords.

"Don't let that one open her mouth, put something in it and tie their hands," he warned as soon as his eyes landed on Monica, she had gotten away once from him by singing, he made sure that wouldn't happen again as the guard holding her took out a piece of cloth and gagged her while wrapping some rope around her wrists. At that same moment she cried out, only muffled sounds came out as her eyes widened in fear, she couldn't sing and that was worse than death for her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Annalise cried out in rage as she looked at her friend who immediately tensed, this was not going to turn out well.

The captain turned to face her, his back to Monica as he then looked at the rabbit in her hand, "I believe this little reunion was all made possible by this thing," he told her as he took the rabbit out of her hand and held it up to his face, its black eyes staring into his emerald ones.

"If Altair sees what you're doing to her he's going to skin you alive," Annalise hissed as she tried to get the attention of her friend who was still looking down but suddenly reacted to Annalise's voice, one of her arms twitching suddenly as she managed to kick the guard who was holding her off of her and shake the rope off of her wrists while she tackled the captain knocking him to the ground as the rabbit he was holding flew through the air and landed on the face of the guard who was holding Annalise.

She too shook the guard and rope off as she looked at Monica who nodded back at her as they both took off running, Monica trying to free herself of the gag as they ran through the forest and back to the assassins while the guards recovered and ran after them.

"DO NOT LET THEM REACH THE ASSASSINS!" the captain called after them, he remembered what they had done to his captain, and he certainly remembered the threat that one of them had given him, personally he didn't want to ever see that particular assassin ever again.

He ran hand through his hair and sighed while dusting himself and walking after the girls who broke out of the forest and into the clearing where the assassins were, he stood at the tree line and pulled out his bow while reaching back to get an arrow.

"EZIO!" Annalise called out desperately as the assassins all turned to look at them running frantically, from what they didn't know. They both stood up and looked at the girls as they ran into camp and struggled to catch their breath as Malik glanced up at them concerned with Stiglitz resting on his lap who quickly let out a concerned dragged out meow upon seeing his owner in a gag.

"What happened?" Ezio asked as he took Annalise into his arms as she panted heavily and shook still traumatized from the experience as Altair walked over and allowed his hidden blade to slide out as he stopped in front of Monica who was having a harder time breathing with the gag still in her mouth.

She looked up at him slightly and then at the hidden blade as she understood and allowed him cut the annoying piece of cloth off of her as she sighed in relief and rubbed her aching jaw.

"It was the guards again, the same ones from before," she told him noticing his demanding gaze, knowing what he wanted without him even needing to say a word. She stepped back slightly in horror once he tensed and rage flooded his golden eyes, an intimidating feeling settling around him as she continued to step back still in fear. He had that look, that condemning look that he gave to his targets just before he drove the hidden blade deep into their necks, that murderous aura all around him.

The sound of an arrow flying through the air snapping them out of their thoughts as Ezio growled out as soon as it hit him just below his left shoulder dangerously close to his heart. Annalise immediately panicked and ran to his side as Malik moved forward as well, he had removed countless arrows from Altair in his years as a novice, but none of them had been so critically located to somewhere vital.

"Now do you see why I should have killed the dog when I had the chance!" Altair yelled outraged, no one was allowed to so much as scratch Ezio in his presence, no one. Monica jumped back at his voice as he turned to look at her as he pulled out a small blade and walked over to her.

She took a step back as he stopped walking and looked at her slightly, his gaze softening in the slightest; she then understood and walked over to him slowly.

"If any of them make it past me…kill them without so much as a second of hesitation," he told her as he stretched out his hand and gave the blade to her as she took it in her hands still unsure about the whole situation, Ezio was already wounded, and now Altair was about to go after the remaining guards by himself, something was bound to go wrong right.

She couldn't help but frown and hold back the tears as she looked at the assassin in front of her as he turned and started to leave before the guards made it any closer. She acted on impulse really, she didn't think it through, she didn't even know she was doing it until her hand reached out for his.

She held his hand as he stopped walking and froze; he felt a warm hand hold back his cold gloved one. He turned to look back as she stared at him with grief all over her face. He didn't understand why she had done it, hell she didn't know herself but nevertheless she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist slowly and unsurely not knowing if he would push her away.

Much to both the surprise of both of them neither pushed the other away instead they welcomed the much needed comfort they had both lacked and received during their lifetimes.

"Don't get hurt ok?" she sobbed into his chest, she wasn't aware she had been crying until she heard her own voice, it stunned her, she barely knew the man anyway. Altair looking down as well, he didn't understand the girl holding on to him for dear life, he doubted he ever would but none the less the grand master knew something was going on. Had it been anyone else hugging him he would have pushed them away, had anyone else thrown a pillow at him he would have tortured them, had it been anyone else glaring at him he would have killed them. And yet here she was, alive, crying in his chest worried over his own pathetic life.

"Take care of them, do not come after me," he told her, and much like her his own voice sounded alien to him. He closed his eyes for a brief second, he expected all of this to be gone when he opened them, it was too good to be true. Much to his relief it was reality, he sighed deeply using every inch of will in his body to pull away, he had already stayed long enough, any longer and the guards would discover them.

He pulled away completely and held on to her hand as she looked down still unsure of his leaving as he gave it a light reassuring squeeze before he let go hesitantly and ran as fast as his feet would carry him towards the woods.

Ezio biting down on the collar of his many shirts as Malik prepared to pull out the arrow, the sooner they treated the wound the better. Annalise holding the Italians hand kneeling next to him with a worried expression on her face.

"Don't worry over me bella, I'm not worth it," Ezio told her trying to make her smile though the situation called for something else. She frowned at the statement and instantly though otherwise of the Italian, in the little time she had known him he had become something to her, something close to her heart if not in it already.

"Of course your worth it Ezio, why would you ever think otherwise?" she asked him as he smiled, she truly was different from all of the other women he had been with, at that he laughed mentally, there had been millions of millions of women that knew Ezio Auditore, and yet the one holding his hand had something special. He didn't quite know what it was but he wasn't about to doubt himself when she told him he was worth it, no one had ever said anything like that to him.

Sure he had many say they loved him, they cared about him, they would die if he wasn't there, but no one had ever said he was worth it. The mere thought of the girl who was so close to him caused him to smile automatically.

"Grazie bella," he told her right before Malik pulled the arrow out, concern immediately flooding his thoughts and expression.

"What's wrong?" Annalise asked concerned as well as Ezio fainted suddenly causing both of them to look at the Italian in panic as Monica walked over to them blade in hand.

"He's bleeding too much, it's not normal for an arrow wound, perhaps it hit something vital," Malik told Annalise as she held back tears that were just dying to roll down her face. The mere thought of the Italian dying caused a deep pain in her chest; normally she would have said it was nothing. But she knew better than to deny herself, there was something there between her and Ezio. She just hoped he made it out alive, if he did she would tell him everything she had been holding back, after all she wasn't sure how much time she had left, after all they were assassins, their days were numbered.

"Take his hidden blade off," Monica told Annalise as she walked up to them, her friend throwing her a confused look to which Malik quickly caught on and responded.

"She's going to help Altair, just do it before the novice gets himself killed, the man must be insane if he thinks he can take on all of those guards by himself," Malik told Annalise as she nodded and proceeded to unstrapping the blade off of the Italian.

She then handed it to her friend as she put it on and adjusted it to her, the things were heavier than they looked. She tried it out a few times to get used to it and not cut one of her fingers off as crouched down and handed the blade to Annalise.

"He told you not to follow didn't he?" Annalise asked her partner as Monica grinned wickedly.

"I would have taken it as a friendly suggestion, not an order," she replied as Annalise smirked, Monica always did have a way to find loops to what people said.

"Take care ok kid, and don't let that idiot die," Monica told her as she took off running towards the direction Altair had gone to. She knew she was disobeying him, but she wasn't going to stand by and watch as he got butchered out there alone, at least she would be there to serve as a distraction.

"I hope they don't get themselves killed," she commented to Malik as he started to work on getting the bleeding to stop, the sun setting completely leaving them in complete darkness except for the fire that burned behind them, the moon and the stars, Stiglitz settling beside Annalise and meowing trying to cheer her up as she took the fur ball in her arms and held him close as she continued to watch helplessly.

Altair ran for a good full minute before he was greeted by the first of the guards, he quickly cut them down and stepped over their bodies in a rush before he halted completely looking at the last wave of soldiers, the one at the back catching his attention.

It was the same guard he had let go thanks to Ezio talking him out of it; he stood behind four guards who all charged at Altair holding a black bow, golden arrows poking out from behind his back. Both of their eyes met, one of them out for blood, another praying to God the four guards in front of him to manage to bring down the assassin before he got to him.

**Review...if you dont...I shall kill Ezio :D I know your thinking if I have the guts to do it...dont doubt I wont, just review, for Ezio's sake :)**


	10. Fear

**Fear.**

**A/N: Hey guys! Im glad to see that some of you are brave enough to review now! That makes me so happy and so I decided to post this sooner ^-^ My apologies for it being so short but the next chapter should be a nice long one ;D Enjoy...well maybe not so much this unless you have a fetish for broken bones & blood ;D  
**

The four guards charged at once hoping to overpower the assassin who stood before them still as a stature, golden eyes calculating their every move as they all pulled out their swords and swung down at the same time covering every angle. Much to their surprise the assassin stepped out of the way with ease as he grabbed one of the guard's arms and turned it, he then took his blade and with the end of it brought it down to shatter the man's elbow causing him to cry out in agony.

He then turned him over again and drove his hidden blade deep into his chest as the guard coughed up blood, the assassin placing his boot on the guard's chest and shoving him away as he fell dead to the ground while he dodged the swings of the remaining guards.

His eyes caught a moment of hesitation and used it to his advantage as he sent two hidden blades flying through the air and into the throats of two more of the guards, their bodies falling limply to the floor leaving only one more guard between him and the captain.

"Get him you idiot!" the captain ordered as the remaining guard shuddered at the thought of having to face the assassin by himself, after all the man had just taken out his entire squad without even trying. He moved forward slowly as Altair growled, he had done enough waiting. He pounced on the guard hidden blade out as he and the guard both fell to the ground, the captain looking on in horror once he saw the assassin look up at him and pull the blade out of the dead guard's throat and advance to him.

He backed up quickly as the assassin stalked over to him slowly almost playing with him knowing he was going to die. Altair tensing, he had been waiting for this for a long time, and now there was nothing to stop him from taking out his rage on the man in front of him shaking in fear.

The captain recomposing himself and standing tall while pulling out his sword as Altair halted and started to laugh.

"What is so funny?" the captain asked fully recovered and growing tired of the assassin before him.

"I was just thinking how satisfying it will be to hear you squeal like a pig," Altair replied his laugh dropping to a lower tone as the captain took a step back…what had he gotten himself into?

"You expect me to squeal?" the captain replied amused although his mind was telling him otherwise, he just wanted to drop his sword and run before it was too late.

Altair simply advanced once more as the captain prepared himself, but not before he allowed a smile to grace his lips, all wasn't lost after all. Altair failing to notice as he moved forward and wrapped his hand around the neck of the captain raising him up into a death grip.

"It seems…you will be dying before me…assassin," the captain told him sneering as Altair halted, his whole body freezing up. He looked at the captain confused as his eyes followed his to an archer who was already aiming at the assassin a couple of feet away.

"Release him," the archer told him calmly, he was known as the best in his class, never missing a shot. Altair cursed mentally, how could he miss something like that? Had he really been that hell bent on getting revenge that he let his guard down?

A million questions ran through his head as he slowly released the grip on the captain letting him fall to the ground below him as the archer remained concentrated on the assassin, after all they were known to be full of surprises.

"Well if it isn't Altair, been a while?" the archer asked mockingly recognizing the assassin anywhere, after all they had a history of running into each other, the situation preventing them from killing one another every time.

Altair clenched his fists in rage, his plan had backfired. Without Ezio there he had to think of a way out of his predicament and fast. His thoughts being cut short when he noticed someone up in the tree directly above the archer. For a brief second he thought it was the Italian, but that was impossible.

"Auf Wiedersehen," Monica growled as the archer looked up in horror before she pounced on him and landed perfectly on top of him, Ezio's hidden blade deep in the neck of her victim as she remained there for a couple of seconds not believing she had just killed a man.

She stumbled off of the dead body as she glanced up at Altair who had a look of disbelief on his face and then back down at the blade coated in crimson. She never meant to kill the man, truly she never did. She kept looking at the blade in horror…she killed someone.

"It seems your harlot saved your life," the captain snapped at Altair before realizing the mistake he had made, the assassin tearing his gaze away from Monica and turning his whole body to look at the captain, his eyes flaming in rage while he growled loudly.

"No…wait…that did not come out right," the captain told him as Altair walked over to him once more and much like the first guard grabbed his arm turned it and broke his bones by hitting him with the back of his knife. The captain flying back in pure agony while crying out in pain as he held his broken arm.

He tried to crawl away before Altair walked over once more and grabbed his other arm, turned it and broke it as well earning himself another cry of pain from the captain who kept begging the assassin to kill him.

But Altair was far from done, he took one of his legs and held it out as he brought down his boot on the captains knee causing a sickening crack to fill the air as bones kept breaking every second. The assassin taking the other leg and doing the same, each time the sound of bones being shattered and crushed reached his ears he couldn't help but smirk in pure joy.

"I want to hear it pig...so squeal!" Altair yelled at him as he kicked the captain back and placed his boot on his chest while applying pressure, ribs starting to break one by one as the captain howled in agony, anything was better than this, anything.

Monica couldn't believe her eyes; it was like Altair had turned into another person, a monster. The captain by this time crying out in pain, it would be an understatement to say he could be heard a mile away.

"Please…mercy!" he cried from beneath Altair as the assassin let loose a low chuckle, one that sent chills up Monica shaking her head in denial, this wasn't happening in front of her, couldn't be happening.

On the contrary Altair seemed to just lose it; he straddled the captain's waist, one hand applying pressure on his broken and mutilated chest while he brought down the other on his face with animalistic blows, blood spraying on his face as he felt bones giving away beneath his fist with every punch he gave.

The body beneath him convulsed in agony and pain, he was human after all and could only take so much. The assassin seemed to notice this as well and halted, the captain by some sort of miracle still alive, everything about him just screamed out death. Broken bones, lacerations, blood pouring out of him, he was barely recognizable as a man.

Altair was gone, Monica was sure of that; she didn't know the monster before her. He stood up slightly and frowned at the body beneath him, the bastard was still breathing.

Altair smirked as he thought of a way to bid the captain of the guard farewell, a maniacal idea coming to him as he moved to the side of the captain and placed his black leather boot on the side of his face. A small groan coming from the body beneath him, he was close to dying…so painfully close and yet he wasn't quite dead.

The assassin snapped suddenly as he applied force once more, skull cracking and shattering beneath him as he started to chuckle once more, blood splattering everywhere, a little reaching Monica and staining her hand as she gasped and looked up once more at Altair who had by this time completely crushed the captains head in, the body convulsing once more for the last time as he stepped away, his bloodlust barely satisfied, his robes stained with blood, and his face sprayed with some as well.

It was only then that he seemed to notice she had been there the whole time, his smirk dropping instantly. She continued to look at him and then at the body with a horrified expression on her face as her hands went up to cover her mouth in horror.

"W-wait-" he started as she shook her head and started to back away slowly from him, tears filling up her eyes as she tripped and fell back with a thud horrified of him as she tried to crawl away much like the captain had tried to do as Altair halted.

What had possessed him? What had he become? What had he done…?

His thoughts came to a halt when Malik appeared behind Monica riding a horse with Ezio in front of him completely passed out, Annalise on another and a third for Altair.

"We have to get to Masyaf quickly…I stopped the bleeding but it will not hold forever Altair," Malik told him as his eyes traveled behind the master assassin to look at the gory and gruesome scene before him, Annalise flinching also when she took notice of the carnage that had occurred.

"Kid did you just-" Annalise asked her friend who sat looking at Altair in fear as the assassin in turn refused to break eye contact with her as well, until he heard Ezio groan in pain, his eyes diverted elsewhere as he walked over to her and held out a hand to help her get up.

She quickly backed away from him as if he was the Devil himself and pushed away his hand in horror as she ran as far away from him as she possibly could, Annalise catching on and looking at Altair in shock…had he really done all of this? She couldn't imagine the mental trauma it must have caused Monica in witnessing it all.

"We have to get going Altair," Malik reminded the grand master as Altair took his hand back and clenched it, it was never his intention to let her see that. It would surely bring her nightmares of him, forever viewing him as an animal, a monster.

The assassin shook off these thoughts with an obvious frown as he mounted his own horse, much to his disappointment Annalise offered to let Monica ride on the back of hers. Her friend quickly taking up the offer grateful to be away from the assassin who found it strange without the feeling of someone behind him as they all headed towards the approaching city at a breakneck speed.

"Did you see all of that back there?" Annalise asked her friend as she glanced back slightly concerned as she looked at her friend who had a faraway look on her face.

"He's a fucking monster," Monica murmured back as Annalise turned to look back at the road and shuddered slightly, she didn't even want to picture what had happened back there, but one thing was for sure…once Monica felt hate for something, it never went away.

**REVIEW! As you can see...Ezio's life is still hanging in your hands ;D**


	11. Pain

**Pain**

**A/N: Hope it hasnt been too long guys! Your reviews however have been of much comfort, glad to know there are a few of you out there with the guts to tell me what you think, I bow respectfully to you all. Enjoy!**

"Looks like were here," Annalise commented as she turned slightly to look at Monica who in turn refused to even acknowledge her, it fact it seemed like she was on the verge of breaking down. Annalise sighed as she looked forward, she could make out the shapes of buildings in the distance.

They approached a city, a fortress looming over it onto of a mountain overlooking a river down below; they had finally arrived at Masyaf. Malik rode ahead, Annalise with Monica behind him, Altair trailing at the back.

They raced through the streets of the city just beyond the assassin's home, thankfully it was late and there were no people out to raise suspicion. As they neared the gates to the assassins home the two guards guarding the gates took out their swords and glared at Annalise and Monica. Annalise glared back, Monica however chose to simply look down ignoring them.

"What is the meaning of this Malik?" one of the guards asked as he pointed his sword at Annalise who in turn looked at the ex-assassin who seemed like he just wanted to get through to help Ezio.

"He is wounded for crying out loud why you must ask such questions of me now!" Malik snarled back as the guard stood his ground refusing to let the two girls in, after all the creed was a secret, having two women stroll in would probably cause an uproar.

"You may be of higher rank than me Malik, but you will have to take it up with the Grand Master," the other guard told him as Altair rode up as well and stopped next to Annalise while gripping his reins tightly.

"You are to stand down novice," Altair told him in a monotone voice as the two guards cowered before the famous Altair, surprised to see their Grand Master back so quickly.

"But master, they are women!" the other commented as Altair's head snapped over to them, a glare fixed on them both as they twitched slightly, if there was something every assassin in the creed knew, it was to never agitate or doubt their master.

"Silence! Do not question me, now stand down and let us through…that's and order!" he growled as the soldier nodded and proceeded to raising the gates as the three horses made their way inside.

The courtyard was empty, the training grounds deserted as they all dismounted, Altair jogging over and carrying Ezio over his shoulder as the younger assassin groaned in pain.

"I will show you to your rooms, novice, take him up to my quarters," Malik told them addressing the pair of girls and then Altair as the Arab nodded and went in a different location.

Malik led them through countless corridors; huge wooden doors fully closed sleeping assassins behind them as they rushed past the first few and stopped at the end of the hall.

"You will be staying here, at least until tomorrow once this whole thing is taken care of, I must leave you now, if you need anything our rooms are at the top floor of the hideout, you should have no trouble finding them," he told them as he bowed slightly before leaving them standing outside of the room confused slightly as they looked at each other and entered the room.

Their jaws opened in amazement, the room was absolutely stunning, two enormous beds were pushed up against the walls, a purple tint decorated everything, a huge mirror was also up against a wall with a sea of pillows up against a corner of the room.

"Talk about filthy rich," Annalise told her friend as Monica looked around and walked over to the bed, her hand brushing slightly over the covers as she allowed herself to fall back against it. Annalise could tell her friend was in no mood to talk much less laugh as she sighed to herself and sat on the other bed.

She literally jumped when she heard her friend start to sing once more, except this time she knew what she was singing; it sent chills up her spine as Monica continued to sing the melody that was stuck in her head.

The song Pandora sang from God of War. Annalise quickly found herself drifting off to sleep to the melody she laughed slightly to herself, that's what Monica had been striving for the whole time. She wanted to help her get to sleep, the Italian still on her mind as she finally gave in and allowed sleep to take her as Monica sighed and sat up on the bad.

"Angel of music why this torment? Why do you curse mercy?" she sang quietly thinking of a certain golden eyed assassin while looking out of the window which was open up to the full moon as she thought of Altair, the man was much like the Phantom of the Opera in her mind, he was a monster. Despite all of that he had another side to him, one that he did not show and refused to do so.

He could have just allowed the captain to escape with his life after a little beating, perhaps something more but what he had done was inhuman, Monica felt her thoughts come to a complete stop. Why had he gone to extremes to make him pay? It's not like they had scarred her of Annalise mentally forever…why not have mercy on the poor man?

What Monica did not know was that Altair had a whole other method of thinking, while she tried to show compassion and mercy he showed resentment and rage. While she tried to sometimes forget he held grudges, while she chose to walk out in the open he took to the shadows.

They were complete opposites, while she was an 'Angel of Music' as he had put it once; he on the other hand was a fallen angel, one whose wings were broken beyond repair. One who wanted help desperately deep within but refused to ask for it, in turn he embraced the darker side of himself.

She was light and he was darkness. Something like that would surely cause chaos should they come across each other, should they become something more than just acquaintances. She frowned; they were much too different for what she was thinking, much too different.

She sighed once more and looked out of the window one last time hoping this was all just a nightmare, one that she would be awakening from soon.

She went back to her bed and sat down once more putting her head in her hands as she pulled slightly at the black hair that cascaded down as she looked up once more at the moon, a single silver tear running down her cheek as she thought once more of Altair for some odd reason she found it impossible to get him out of her head, this was going to be a long night.

Stiglitz meowing loudly as he jumped on to the bed and curled up next to her rubbing his whiskers on her cheek as he brushed away the tear with his fur, she tried to smile at him as she pulled him closer and fell into a restless sleep filled with nightmares of things long since passed.

The assassins on the other had were currently up in Malik's room struggling with Ezio as the Italian awoke suddenly as wave after wave of pain flooded through him. He tried to get away only to be brought back down by Altair who held his shoulders while the Italian growled in pain as Malik poked and worked on the wound.

"Is it serious?" Altair asked as he held Ezio down while Malik worked desperately, managing to get the bleeding to a stop as the ex-assassin smiled despite himself and looked down at the horrified Italian who kept throwing him worried glances.

"You're not going to have to cut it right?" the younger assassins out of the three asked as Altair's eyes flickered over to Malik's onyx ones that held amusement in them as they both looked down at Ezio who looked up at them in horror.

"I'm sorry Ezio, but we cannot do anything, you've lost too much blood," Malik told him as Ezio's mouth dropped open in pure genuine horror. Altair playing along and nodding his head in seriousness when Ezio turned to look at him.

"Do not be so concerned amico mio, you cannot lose an arm like that!" Malik told him once Ezio started to get pale, Altair also allowing a slightly smirk crack at the end of his lips as Ezio looked at both of them in shock. The Italian found it odd to hear his language slip out of an Arabs tongue and yet Malik made it sound flawlessly.

"That was not amusing old man," the Italian snapped before Malik tightened the bandages making the young Italian hiss in pain as Altair continued to hold him down when he tried to bolt and run out of the room.

"Are they ok?" Ezio asked as he turned to look at Altair, a shadow falling across his mentor's expression as Ezio flinched slightly, he could tell he had hit a sensitive chord, but which one.

"They are fine," Malik told him once Altair faltered as the Italian nodded and stayed still allowing him to work as he finally finished and nodded satisfied with his work. Ezio sat up with a groan of pain as he held his shoulder while wincing.

"You should not agitate it unless you want it to start bleeding once more, then we will have a problem," Malik told him turning and washing the blood off of his hands on a nearby bowl of water he had Altair bring up, "no contracts for you…at least for a while," he told the Italian as he immediately opened his mouth to protest.

"No contracts, that is final Ezio," Altair told him once the Italian turned to look at him hopefully, all hopes of being able to assassinate being brought down once he hear that, "I shall find someone else to fill in your place for the time being," the Arab added as Ezio pouted.

Just because he wasn't going to work didn't mean he was supposed to be nice and enjoy it, in fact he was planning on annoying Altair and Malik until they allowed him to carry out assassinations once more.

He got up from the table and gently put one of his shirts back on, not bothering to put the multiple shirts that followed, he wasn't in the mood nor did he want to look fancy when he was in pain. He started to walk out of the room as Altair turned to look at him and rose an eyebrow in questioning.

"I'm just going to go out for a walk, I won't do anything stupid," he reassured the two assassins as he left and closed the door behind him leaving the pair of Arabs too look at each other in somewhat fear for the Italian. He was reckless, and they knew that by now, if he did indeed cut open his stiches it would spill disaster for him.

"On a more personal note Altair," Malik told his superior, Altair winced, Malik only used his name when he wanted to talk about something serious, "Did she see all of that back there?" Malik asked as the assassins shoulders slumped, if only for a second before he composed himself and stood straight once more.

"Yes…why do you ask this?" Altair replied as Malik resisted the urge to punch the novice before him, even after all those years the man had to learn when to strike and when to hold back.

"Do you have any idea of the trauma the poor girl must be going through novice?" Malik snapped at him as Altair held his head high, he was aware of the scarring he must have caused her by watching that but he wasn't about to go and have a breakdown over it, "I must warn you Altair, if you do not act fast she will grow to hate you more and more as every day goes by," Malik added as Altair tensed slightly and turned to look at Malik with a blank expression, his eyes giving no indication of what he was thinking either.

"If I were you novice, I would have already apologized," Malik commented as he urged the assassin out of the door and gave him a last reassuring look as he closed the door leaving Altair bewildered standing outside as he shivered slightly at the cold breeze that seemed to run through the creed.

He could make out Ezio in the distance walking in the village, Annalise by his side, so typical for the Italian. Altair on the other hand simply didn't want to see the girl he needed to desperately talk to, he just wouldn't apologize…why should he? Deep in his mind however he knew he had to do something.

He quickly gathered himself up and walked down the flight of stairs leading to the living quarters making sure he woke no one in the process as he finally came to the door where Malik had left them for the night, all he needed to do was knock. A simple movement of the hand really and yet he seemed frozen in place.

Damn it all to hell he was Altair and nothing was going to cause him to falter, nothing. He was about to kick down the door when he noticed the window was open, he poked his head in and noticed she was completely passed out on the bed.

He climbed in through the window and walked over quietly to the side of the bed she was facing. He took a second or two to look at her; she seemed paler than he recalled her being. He took a moment or two to notice she was dreaming something, and it didn't seem pleasant from where he was standing, she kept tossing and turning, Stiglitz on the pillow opposite form hers watching her with stunning emerald eyes as they quickly flickered over to Altair once he noticed the assassin standing over him.

The cat opened its mouth and let out a long dragged out meow as if wanting to tell him something as it got up and stretched before walking over to him and rubbing itself on the side of Altair's hand trying to get him to do something.

Much to Altair's shock she suddenly woke as she sat up sweating and shaking uncontrollably, Stiglitz quickly losing interest in the assassin and walking over to his owner as he climbed on to her legs and tried to comfort her as she simply started to break down still not noticing Altair standing there the whole time.

"It was just a fucking dream," she growled suddenly as Altair stepped back calling her attention as her eyes shot over to him filling with surprise and confusion as he stood there not knowing what to do. Her confusion however was quickly replaced by hate and fear as she continued to watch him, her cold eyes calculating every move he made.

"Get out," she told him in a raspy voice, her throat dry for some reason as he stood his ground, no woman was about to start to give him of all people orders.

"No," he replied simply as her fists clenched slightly as her whole body tensed. He never expected what came next, in fact he as far from prepared.

She pounced over to him as he landed heavily on the stone floor pulling her along as she sat on him tears streaming down her face as he stared blankly up at her.

"Its you who I was dreaming of! I cant get the nightmares out of my mind!" she yelled at him as tears streamed down her face and onto his black robes as he continued to look up at her, a sharp pain coming form his chest as she stared down at him in regret.

"Its all your fault," she whispered with rage as she hit him on the chest, "Its all your godamn fault!" she cried as she felt more tears coming to her, this was going to be a long night indeed.

**Review...or else...Im serious...dont make me go to drastic measures ;D**


	12. Time

**Time...**

**Sorry for the long wait guys! Had horrible writers block... ^-^' I still kinda do, not my best chapter but I hope you wont shoot me for it :D Enjoy!**

"Its all your fault," she cried as she got off of him and sat back down at the edge of the bed, her face in her hands as he sat up still dumbfounded at being actually tackled to the ground by a girl. It was rather difficult for him to find it in himself to do something to comfort her; he had never been in this situation before.

He picked himself up and dusted his robes as he walked over to her and crouched down in front of her waiting for her to look at him. After a second or so she finally stopped crying slightly as her eyes met his.

"I'm sorry I snapped," she murmured looking down whipping her tears from her eyes trying to calm herself as he diverted his gaze elsewhere as well, this was so difficult for him, he wanted to do something…but what?

"It's just…you've been doing this for years…I never would have dreamed to see someone killed in front of me," she continued still avoiding him as he nodded understanding her.

"And yet…I killed someone today," she commented looking away as he stood up, this truly was enough. He walked around looking at the little trinkets placed all over the room as he finally talked his back to her.

"You did what was right, that doesn't take away your humanity," he told her in a monotone voice as she looked up at him in surprise, how could he have possibly known what was on her mind?

"Easy for an assassin to say, I mean look at me…I'm certainly not even fit for this type of life," she told him standing as well and walking over to the window while looking out at the night sky. Altair turned to look at her slightly, he saw no reason to why she couldn't be an assassin if she so chose it, but then again, she wasn't made for this.

"Look, I'm sorry I overreacted…it's not every day I get so see someone's face bashed in," she apologized as she turned to look at him but was left dumbfounded when he wasn't standing where she had last seen him. She looked around and found him gone.

"It was my who acted recklessly, you should not have seen that," his voice spoke from behind her as she spun around violently and bumped her arm into him unaware that he had been standing so close.

She stepped back quickly, she was still afraid of him after all; anyone would have been if they ever saw that side of him. But somehow he seemed changed now, calmer, a complete opposite of what she had seen, this was the part of him that she knew. Not the monster that she hated.

She appreciated the fact that he had at least tried to apologize for what he had done, had he not she would have hated him even more…but somehow…she was finding it hard to think negatively of him. Her mind just seemed to link him with another feeling she thought she had forgotten a long time ago. She hated it, she wanted to hate him and yet…she couldn't.

"Did I scare you?" he asked a bit of amusement hinted in his voice as he stared down at her.

"Startled me actually…one minute your there, and the next you here," she told him pointing to emphasize her point as he nodded; he had that knack to surprise people.

Both of them froze however before they could do or say anything else as footsteps echoed through the hallway and stopped just outside of the door. Altair turned to warn Monica only to find her already dropping down and crawling underneath the bed just as the door opened.

An assassin stood in the doorway, his white robes gleaming eerily drenched with blood as it ran down his arm and dripped down on the cold stone floor. Monica looked at the drops of blood as two feet stumbled in the dark towards their master. She placed a hand over her mouth when the assassin collapsed straight into Altair's arms unconscious due to the blood loss.

She crawled out once she noticed there was no one else coming and the assassin was out cold. She ran over to the pair as Altair looked up at her in slight panic, "Get Malik down here," he told her as she stood there and looked at the wound on the assassin's shoulder, a deep gash staring back at her.

"Now!" Altair barked at her as she shook her head clearing her thoughts and racing out of the door and out of the room heading down the hall and up the stairs. No sooner had she reached the top levels and turned sharply on the first corner that Malik walked straight into her.

They both crashed onto the ground in a painful manner as she picked herself up and helped him as well while panting heavily.

"He needs you down there, some assassin strolled in and is bleeding to death," she told him through quick pants as he nodded and headed down quickly followed closely behind by Monica while thoughts raced through her mind.

What would have happened had the assassin not interrupted? She would never know…

She quickly disposed of the thoughts as they entered the room and Malik took over crouching over the assassin and motioning for Altair to stand back. The Grand Master quickly took his leave and walked out of the room, he trusted Malik to save the boy, he had never failed him before. Monica following after the assassin as he halted to the familiar sound of steps following his as Monica ran straight into his back.

"Do you plan on shadowing me?" he asked somewhat amused at the mere thought of someone being his shadow, impossible.

"I don't want to stay back there and watch him bleed to death," she replied crossing her arms over her chest while she glared up at him, "that was supposed to be our room ya know…and now it's all smeared with blood," she added pouting slightly. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the mere mention of blood…it was so overrated these days, it was getting old. Then again, to an assassin, seeing blood was nothing new.

He turned once more walked, somewhat calmed when he heard footsteps follow after him. By the sounds that she made he could tell she was a light walker, only making the slightest of noises…given time that could be perfected to moving silently.

He turned and walked calmly up a flight of stairs leading up to his quarters only. She seemed to catch on as she halted at the bottom of the stairs and debated whether she should leave him be, or follow. He stopped as well as he turned back to look at her almost challenging her with the stare he gave her. She quickly returned his gaze with a defiant one as she stomped up the stairs and brushed past him in a huff. He held back a laugh at the girl before him; no one would have dared to do that to him. And yet…she didn't even hesitate to agitate him, in fact she almost seemed to jump at any chance she got.

He only hoped the whole incident wouldn't affect any part of her permanently, sure he could tell already she seemed a little more cautious around him, but not too much. He continued to follow after her as she left him behind and opened the large wooden doors after receiving a nod of approval from him.

He knew the images would never be erased from her mind, in the little time she had slept she had already had nightmares of it…of him. In time those would fade, he could only hope she would forgive him in time as well, he had merely acted on impulse, on revenge. He should have skinned the bastard when he had the chance.

He ignored all of these thoughts that plagued his mind as he reached the top of the stairs leading to his room as he walked in and stretched slightly easing his sore muscles before remembering she was also there with him.

Her mouth was open as she looked around the immense room, truly you could tell it belonged to him. The walls were a dark tint of red, almost blood red; his bed was covered in black silk. Papers were scattered everywhere, open books on every surface, countless melted candles placed throughout the room.

All of the furniture was black as well; the floors were a dark shade of grey, a red couch up against the wall as well. A huge window overlooking the cliffs and river below topped the look off as she walked over to it and peered down to the long drop below.

"I have to give it to you, this is badass," she told him still not turning to face him as he looked at her standing in front of the window, the moonlight shining through. It provided the only lighting in the room, he quickly diverted his gaze elsewhere like all of the other times as he walked over to his bed and started to undo all of the sashes around his robes while she walked over to the couch and stared out of the other window over it.

Altair continued to undo all of his complicated clothing while she simply lied down and gazed up in wonder at the stars just before her gaze flicked over to him as he took of the first of many shirts tossing it slightly to the side on the nightstand completely exhausted.

She tried not to drool while she continued to watch in amazement, he made it look like the simplest task with all the grace he was putting into it, his movements just seemed to flow flawlessly. She too caught herself just before he looked over and looked away blushing slightly as she looked up at the stars once more. Something about his presence just put something at peace within her. She felt safe.

He shrugged the feeling off that settled over him of being watched as he turned to look at her once more unaware that she too had sat up and removed part of her clothing mostly her vest and undid her shirt slightly as she sat back down and started to drift off still looking at the star filled sky.

He turned his back to her as he removed the last of his shirts and sat down on his bed to remove his boots. His gaze landed on her once more as a slight smirk crept up the corner of his lips; she had fallen sound asleep on his couch.

He had to give it to her, she was stubborn. After removing his boots he got up and stretched once more before walking over to her and standing there looking at her for a second or so. The peaceful expression almost seemed to mock her features, she was usually making a face at him or deep in thought, seeing her like this just made him want to erupt in laughter.

He shrugged the feeling off as he started to walk away towards his own bed when something made him stop and turn to look at her. He couldn't just sleep in his bed comfortable while she stayed on the couch; he cursed whatever part of his conscience told him to do this. He hoped she would not wake as he crouched slightly and picked her up into his arms, she was lighter than he expected her to be.

She sighed softly leaning into him as he tensed slightly; he wasn't used to having people this close. He shivered slightly at the cold wind hitting his exposed skin as he walked over to his bed and gently placed her on it while she turned and hugged his pillow pulling it close to her.

He turned once more pleased with the fact that she did not wake before something caught his attention once more.

"Altair…" she whispered softly, he froze, expecting her to be awake and demanding answers for being moved he turned to look at her ready to explain only to find her still sleeping. His brow rose in curiosity, was she dreaming of him? Better yet…what was she dreaming?

She shifted slightly and hugged the pillow closer as he turned still thinking while settling down on the couch, he had to admit it was rather comfortable but not as much as his bed. He sighed slightly thinking it would be a long night, he would have to talk with her another time, another place where they wouldn't be interrupted.

He slowly found it in himself to rest as well as his eyelids finally closed slowly while darkness embraced both of them in its cold embrace.

"Aren't you concerned about them?" Annalise asked as she walked side by side with the Italian through the empty streets of the small town just beyond the Brotherhood. Ezio turned to look at her slightly, one of his trademark sheepish grins plastered on his face.

"Of course not, knowing Malik he probably got Altair to at least apologize somewhat," the Italian told her as Annalise nodded, her mind settled with that and was put to peace on the subject as she looked up at the crescent moon and wondered what her friends where thinking of them, their parents, their relatives. Did they even notice they were gone? Would they care enough to look for them?

She frowned at the thoughts of being forgotten, and yet here they were, it had been three days since they had into the lives of the assassins, and it felt like home now. She felt a rear roll down her face as she remembered all of the good times she had had with their friends, all of the idiotic stuff they had down while on dares and all of the pranks they had pulled while at school…school, would they even be accepted once they got back….if they got back?

Ezio turned to look at her once he felt her mood change as he saw a tear roll down her cheek and fall to the dirt ground bellow as she looked away noticing he was staring.

"Bella, is something bothering you? He asked while taking her hand, they both stopped walking as Annalise refused to look at him. This was just too much, what if they were pulled back suddenly…they would never see the assassins again, sure they would be back to all of the comforts of the modern age, but they would be missing their presence.

Either way her heart would be broken in two, if she stayed she would miss her life back home; if she left she would miss the assassins she had met. It was a pain in her heart that she couldn't bear. Her thoughts halted when Ezio rose her chin to look at her. Her green eyes splashed with a hint of brown met his chocolate ones, and in that instant he knew what she was thinking. It pained him as well, he didn't want them to leave, she had already made her way into his heart. Altair had changed drastically too, while many wouldn't even notice, the damn ice cube was starting to melt in the slightest, it was something Ezio knew would be gone if the girls left.

"Would you miss me if I was gone?" Annalise asked quietly refusing to look at him while Ezio felt a rush of anger flow through him, how dare she ask such meaningless questions? Of course he would miss her. He opted out on telling her that as he pulled her closer to him and crashed his lips down on to hers. She froze as well as his mouth worked on hers, time seemed to go by slowly as she finally reacted and started to kiss him back never wanting the moment to end.

Her hands clutched his robes pulling him towards her as he backed her up against a wall neither of them wanting to break the kiss, sadly they were only human and needed air to survive. They both broke it up breathing slightly heavily. He rose his hand to her face and gently brushed the tears away from her eyes while she rested her head on his shoulders, both of them refusing to move from their position.

Ezio stroked her hair as she sighed in content, she never imagined this would happen, but she was somewhat grateful it had happened. She didn't want to admit it to herself but she had fallen in love with the Italian holding her, and hard. She could only pray that he would feel the same, she could tell he wasn't flirting as much with other women as he usually did…perhaps that meant something.

Perhaps.

Time would could only tell what it held for the pair. She looked up concerned at the sky which now held dark grey clouds, much to her fear thunder cracked in the distance making her jump alerting the Italian as he pulled back and looked at her fearful eyes.

"I hate storms," she told him embarrassed as he nodded and took her hand while leading her back to the brotherhood.

"We'll get wet if we do not hurry," he told her; he could already smell the wet dirt it would start to rain soon. He didn't want to get caught out in the middle of it; it would only cause his wound to burn more.

They both rushed through the gates leading into the Creed as it started to rain, the sky crying buckets and buckets of water as he pulled her into the nearest empty room and closed the door behind him just as another flash of lighting flooded the room followed by a loud rumbling crack of thunder. She jumped again and ran to his side hugging him for dear life as his arms wrapped around her as well pulling her down next to him on the bed as he sat there comforting her.

They would soon learn however that no one was going to have a good night's sleep that day due to the loud storm, and time was running out for the pair of girls…

**Review! **


	13. Curiosity Killed The Cat

**Curiosity Killed The Cat!**

**A/N: Well I am aware that many of you may think Im dead...fear not for I am still alive! ;D Its just that I had writers block XD Anyways here's part 1 of 2, obviously the next will be all Ezio Annalise fluff ;D and like I said...I have my reasons to write it like this for now...time is running out remember...? Enjoy!**

Monica woke from her troubled sleep with a loud rumbling due to the storm outside as lightning flashed through the room, Altair waking at the same time she did. She sat up in bed slowly and groaned, she was having a hard enough time already to sleep and now this.

She glanced down as her hands rested on black silk. She didn't quite remember where she was or how she got there, it then clicked, she had fallen asleep in Altair's room…and this was his bed. Knowing this she shot off of the bed as if it was on fire and looked around for the assassin finding him stretching out on the couch like a cat.

Speaking of cats Stiglitz jumped down from the bed with a loud meow and rubbed his whiskers up on Monica's leg as she reached over and scratched the cat behind its ears receiving loud purrs from Stiglitz.

"Sorry for taking your bed," she murmured as he turned his head slightly looking at her, god he was tired and he hadn't been sleeping much lately. His eyes were half open and half closed, truth be told he was struggling to remain awake.

She got off of the bed and walked over quietly to him calculating her every step just to see if he would do anything, when he didn't she approached him and stood over him. She frowned; he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. His bare chest fell and rose in a steady rhythm as he looked up at her slightly aware she was there.

All of his senses were brought back to him as he heard some footsteps near the door. He shot up from the couch and grabbed Monica urging her to follow as she obeyed and got dragged to the bed once more. She nodded understanding him and instantly crouched as he walked over slightly pissed at the fact that someone would dare wake him at this time.

"What?" he asked opening the door a glare on his golden eyes as he was met with a familiar sight. A short maid glanced up at him, her ocean blue eyes widening once they looked at him, it was rare when he took off all of his equipment, and at the present he was wearing nothing form the waist and up.

Her face flushed the deepest shade of red as she looked down shyly away from his smoldering gaze, "Pardon me master, but Malik sent me up here with this," she replied stretching out her arms to reveal some neatly folded clothes; Altair recognized them and took them from the maid after a moment of hesitation.

They belonged to Monica, what the hell had Malik been thinking sending them up with a maid? The scandal of it all if it were to leak out that two girls were in the creed, now for the brotherhood to find out one of them was in his room…that would be a catastrophe.

She blushed even more when his hands brushed slightly up against hers as he took the items from her, she dared not to look up and see those trademark golden eyes. Her eyes trailed up slightly to look at his well-built frame…what she would give for him to hold her with those arms of his. She tried not to think of it further but having him there was making her thoughts go wild with ideas.

She would kill to be his partner; sadly he had shown no interest in her or any of the other three maids that lived in the brotherhood. She frowned at the thought before his voice startled her out of her mind.

"Is that all?" he asked a hint of anger in his tone that she failed to notice, she had been staring at the scar on his lips, the same scar that Ezio had. And his voice, he sounded like an angel to her…a damn gorgeous one at that. She shook her head clearing her mind, her dark hair falling over her face as she bowed in respect.

"Yes, that is all master, if you need anything, please call for me," she told him bowing once more and leaving quickly trying to hide her red cheeks, the man made her weak at the knees and yet he failed to notice. Not only did he have that effect on her but on the other maids, Ezio would always be flirting with them so they were attached to the young Italian as well.

He stared after the peculiar maid, she was always looking down and avoiding him for some reason, he shrugged and closed the door letting out a relieved sigh once he noticed no one else was probably coming to interrupt him for the night.

Monica came out from behind the bed groaning in pain at her crouched position that she had to hold while the maid had her little moment with Altair. She glared over at him as she held her back; she made a mental note to simply crawl under the bed next time as she rose a brow at what he was holding.

He glanced down and seemed to realize it as well as he walked over and handed her clothing over to her. She took it thankfully and set it off to the side as he stood watching her, she could tell however by the way his posture was and how he moved that he was tired.

"Have you slept at all?" she asked quietly looking up at him from the bed as she crouched on it and locked eyes with him. He shook his head, he couldn't deny it, and the loud storm kept waking him up.

He was about to leave once more for the couch when he felt her hand wrap hesitantly around his. She pulled him over and made him sit down on the bed. His mind registered what was happening but he was too tired to do anything as she took a hold of his shoulders and pushed him down gently.

He let out a pleasurable sigh once he was back in his bed, the silk and pillow felt like heaven compared to the couch. He turned to look at Monica who sat next to him looking down at him in worry; she truly just wanted him to rest.

She noticed she was on the same bed as him as she blushed slightly and started to get up before his hand wrapped around hers impeding her from leaving. She looked back at him, and much like the maid lost herself in those eyes of his. She truly loved the color, she couldn't help but feel hypnotized by them as she settled back down next to him. He released his hold on her hand startled that he had done such an act in the first place as she smiled down at him.

"Get some sleep Altair," she whispered to him as he sighed once more sleep taking over as he dropped his defenses, everything was put off, from his stubborn and cocky attitude to that gaze that he used when he talked to someone inferior from him. Instead it was replaced by a calm expression which seemed rare to her.

She soon found herself singing him to sleep as he rolled over more asleep that awake towards the voice that soothed him. Monica glanced down shocked to find his head resting on her lap as she smiled slightly and continued to sing more softly this time as her hand acted on its own accord and brushed through his short black hair.

It was soft to the touch and she couldn't help but enjoy the feel of it as she treasured every moment. By morning he would be back to his normal self and all of this would be gone. He was merely acting like this because he was tired, she knew Altair and he wasn't the type to do this consciously.

She sighed disappointed, if only he were like this all of the time. She shook the thoughts away as she glanced down at him once more, her eyes trailing over his exposed body, truly he was built to be an assassin, all of his muscles were well defined and flexed with the slightest movement he made.

His skin had been kissed by the Arabian sun giving it a golden color that she found rather suiting for him compared to Ezio's paler complexion. Her eyes trailed over the scar on his lip, she had always wondered how he got it…she wasn't about to go ask him however.

Her eyes soon found other countless scars scattered across his skin, she frowned as she reached out and traced one, she felt him tense but he continued to sleep as her hand brushed over it. She cursed the bastard that had given it to him as she pulled her hand back suddenly, what had she been doing?

God help her if he woke up and saw her touching him even in the slightest manner, he would surely skin her alive. She drew her hand back immediately and settled down without reaching out to him, her eyes registered his calm expression once more memorizing it and taking note to never forget it since it would be lost the next morning as she too dozed off.

Stiglitz meowing in her lap as well lying down next to Altair battling with the human assassin over his owner, he would not lose to a human, as if proving his point he flicked his tail over Altair's cheek causing the assassin to stir slightly.

Altair scrunched up his nose at the funny feeling that had brushed his cheek as he shifted into a more comfortable position oblivious to the fact that Stiglitz was being crushed under his weight. Yes, while Altair had shifted he had accidentally laid on top of the cat that refused to move from his spot, it lay beneath the assassin hissing and clawing at the covers trying to free itself from the weight on top of it.

It finally came loose when Altair shifted again against Monica as she too moved closer to him unconsciously her hand falling over his shoulder and chest as Stiglitz glared at Altair before hissing at him and jumping off of the bed not wanting to risk another incident with getting crushed.

He jumped up to the open window and glanced down to the brotherhood, feeling rather daring he jumped out and walked slowly through the halls sniffing occasionally and marking his territory.

He glanced up with his emerald eyes as they widened seeing the rising sun over the buildings and mountains, he let out a dragged out meow before heading back to his owner. He jumped back up to the window and paused slightly noticing the assassin was awake and looking up at Monica with pure shock written on his features.

Stiglitz hissed at him drawing his attention over to him as Altair sighed in annoyance at the cat before looking back at Monica, had she really sang him to sleep?

He took the hand she had rested over his shoulder and traced her smooth skin while settling back down deciding it was too early to be up. He had made sure he locked the door so no one would walk in unexpectedly. He got up however and moved away from Monica as she sighed softly shivering slightly.

His keen hearing picked up the movements from downstairs; someone was already up and at it. He decided against going back to sleep with a dragged out sigh, he had slept rather comfortably, seeing how he had used her leg as a pillow. He turned to look at her as he walked over again to her, he gently picked her up slightly and put her down once more on his bed in a more comfortable position as he drew back and covered her with a silk sheet.

Pleased with his work he simply walked out of his room not bothering in getting dressed, no one was stupid enough to question him, and he needed to eat something now that he thought about it. He moved quickly and surprisingly silently thought the halls until he reached the kitchen.

He entered silent as ever still as he walked over to a counter and picked up an apple. He bit down on it satisfied with himself as he looked out the window, a nearby door opening causing him to halt slightly and listen. Scurried steps, quick movements, he assumed it to be a maid as he turned and saw the same one as before hurrying through the kitchen clearly not noticing he was there.

"Christina…" he called eyeing her as she jumped clearly startled and dropped the plate she had been holding as he caught it calmly before it even hit the ground. She spun around, her dark brown hair swishing as well as she turned to look at him surprised.

"Master I am so sorry! Forgive me for being so reckless," she apologized taking the plate from him, eyes down the whole time as Altair took his time in noticing how she acted with him. She was never like this around the other assassins. He took note of her reactions as he stepped back and leaned back on a counter near them. The tension was so thick it could have easily been cut with a dull knife.

"Shouldn't you be preparing breakfast for everyone?" he reminded her in a monotone voice as she jumped one more hearing him. His voice was so provoking to her it made her want to run up to him and never let go. She pushed the thoughts away turning from him and scurrying over the storage, he had a point, she had to prepare breakfast.

She came back, various ingredients being balanced in her frail arms as Altair took pity on her and walked over taking most of the load and carrying it for her. She followed after him shyly taking note of how good he looked; the man had no idea how drop dead gorgeous he was to her. She paused slightly when he started to walk away from her.

"As you were…I'm not the Devil I don't bite," he replied to her with a wave of his hand that simply caused her to melt. She sighed once he left taking another apple on his way out without her noticing. He headed back up to his room without running into anyone much to his relief as he entered it without knocking and froze in the doorway.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to knock?" Monica asked calmly her exposed back to him as she changed calmly. He remained glued to the spot, his eyes trailing over her body but remaining on a scar that trailed down all the way from her neck down in a curve to her lower back. He closed the door behind him as she pulled a shirt over herself quickly but not before he stole a last glimpse of her exposed skin.

"How did you get that?" he asked curiously tossing the apple over to her as she caught it and sat down on his bed surprised he was so talkative. She glanced over at him, typical, his usual stoic gaze was back and his straight face replaced his calm expression from last night.

She took a bite out of the ruby red apple before glancing back up at him, "my best friend gave it to me," she replied in a cold tone as he froze. He hit a personal cord when he brought the subject up, and people wondered why he didn't talk much…

He glanced over to her slightly as her shoulders slumped, "It's a miracle I'm still here," she added making him tense, there was more than she was letting on, and he wanted to know more.

Curiosity killed the cat…

**REVIEW!**


	14. Lullaby

**Lullaby**

**A/N: Mein got! How long has it been since I updated this! Im so sorry! You are all allowed to come after me with pitchforks and nooses! I had horrible writers block...horrible I tell you! Nevertheless here it is...and I am so sorry D: Kuddos to Jelly Bean of Death, although ya didnt help much kid but you still lectured me for not updating, this one is for you ;D**

Ezio remained in his current place, leaning on the wall while looking outside. The storm was starting to calm and the heat was beginning to return making it unbearably humid. He sighed slightly and turned to look at Annalise who stood by his side looking annoyed at being restricted as well. A sudden idea came to him and he told her before he even thought it through.

"Do you know how to swim?" he asked her calmly still looking out at the drizzling background of buildings and mountains. Annalise then turned slightly annoyed that he would ask such things of her, of course she knew how to swim.

"Of course, do you?" she shot back teasingly as he smirked in reply and took her hand leading her to the door.

He paused and motioned for her to do the same as he opened it and checked to see if anyone was in the halls. Satisfied with the fact that they were alone he pulled her along and walked through the halls holding her hand and pausing with the slightest hint of movement.

He sighed once he noticed no one was in the halls at these hours and proceeded to walking faster to the stables. He paused looking up at the wall they had to climb to avoid going around and possibly bumping into the guards. He then turned to look at Annalise who rose and eye brow expectantly waiting for his plan.

He huffed in agitation before she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Give me a boost then you can climb up after me," she told him as he crouched and allowed her to use his hands as support as he rose her. She grabbed the ledge and pulled herself up with some difficulty but finally managed as she jumped over and landed in, you guessed it…hay.

Ezio pausing slightly before following upon seeing and assassin rounding the corner to the hall where he found himself it. He panicked slightly and flung himself over the wall not checking to see where he landed or in the manner he climbed over.

His robes made a quick ruffling noise as he landed face first in the thankfully large pile of hay. Annalise couldn't help but laugh at the scene he was making of himself as she walked over to help him up.

He groaned slightly picking himself up and spitting out hay much to his predicament as he paused and stopped to see if the assassin was indeed following him. He sighed in relief once he heard the retreating footsteps and stood up. Annalise shaking off the hay from his shoulders and robes as he looked around and cursed in Italian making Annalise jump in surprise.

His pure white stallion was missing from the stables; probably someone had taken the horse out for practice and hadn't returned. But that put him in a predicament; he was counting on his horse being there for his use. Now who's could he possibly take without them noticing.

An evil idea came to mind as his eyes fell upon the Grandmaster's horse, Daredevil.

"What's wrong?" Annalise whispered snapping him back to reality as his eyes shifted from the horse to her.

"Someone took my horse, no matter I shall take another," he told her as he led her over to the monstrous steed that stood a few feet away. Daredevil's eyes gleamed eerily as he looked at the approaching humans, his hooves made harsh contact with the ground as he stomped his warning.

Ezio faltered slightly as the horse pulled its head higher ears falling flat against its black mane as it snorted stomping its hooves harder against the ground preparing to rear as the Italian got near it. Its golden eyes flashed wildly against the assassin's own pair as it snorted once more and bobbed its head slightly in a warning.

"Whose horse is that?" Annalise asked amazed at the sheer size and beauty of the steed before her as she continued to look at it as it prepared to rear once more outraged that they were so close without being its master.

"Altair's," Ezio replied trying to calm the horse before it neighed or freaked even more as Annalise finally caught on and smiled. She put an arm on Ezio's shoulder motioning him to stop his useless struggle with the horse. She motioned for him to stand back a little as he shot her a demanding gaze.

"If its master was seduced by song the beast will fall too," she explained as Ezio continued to stare at her in confusion before it finally dawned on him. Monica had sang to Altair and calmed him more than once, surely the horse would pacify as well.

He stepped back as Annalise neared the horse slowly without breaking eye contact. She rose her hands in a freezing position trying to show she meant no harm as she neared the horse even more, it snorted slightly but made no other objection as she tore through her mind looking for an appropriate song.

She smiled suddenly remembering one that fit as she neared the horse once more, one hand outstretched for it to take in her scent as she began.

"Hush a bye,

Don't you cry,

Go to sleep, my little baby.

When you wake,

You shall have

All the pretty little ponies.

In your bed,

Momma said,

Baby's riding off to dreamland.

One by one,

They've begun,

Dance and prance for little baby.

Blacks and bays,

Dapples and greys,

Running in the night.

When you wake,

You shall have

All the pretty little ponies…

Can you see the little ponies

Dance before your eyes?

All the pretty little ponies

Will be there when you arise…"

She reached the horse just as she finished the song and placed one hand on its mane running her hand through the soft hair of the horse, the other gently placed on its lower jaw brushing across the fine pelt of the animal. The horse calmed instantly in her touch and stopped its previous assault on Ezio when the assassin neared the pair surprised of what he had just witnessed.

"Seduced just like the old man," Ezio laughed as he stood next to Annalise and ran a hand through the horse's mane as well before checking back to see if anyone was present.

"It works all the time," Annalise assured him looking at the horse still as Ezio mounted it without the saddle and stretched out and arm to pull Annalise up with him as well. She took it after a moment and mounted the horse and held on to Ezio as he nudged the horse slightly.

The steed needed no more encouragement as it headed for the front of the stables which were still open for any late arrivals to the brotherhood. After checking and making sure no one was near Ezio spurred the horse which immediately broke out into full gallop away from the brotherhood.

Annalise wouldn't have been surprised if they woke up half of the brotherhood with that exit, the horse's hooves pounded mercilessly against the dirt ground. Something that every assassin in the brotherhood related to thunder, that's how they knew when their master arrived and left, by the sounds of the hooves on the monstrous animal.

"You need to sing me to sleep sometime," Ezio commented looking back at Annalise as she blushed slightly, she had an effect on animals that she was sure of. However she didn't know if it would work on people as well.

"Someday I will," she replied hugging Ezio tighter as he spurred the horse once more causing it to neigh slightly and pick up the pace to an unbelievable speed. They arrived sooner than Ezio could have predicted, but then again he hardly knew the horse he was currently on and he surely never expected it to be that quick.

He pulled on the Daredevil's mane slightly, that was all it took for the horse to slow its speed and completely halt in front of a large lake just outside the city. Annalise nearly jumped in joy when she saw it, it was hot out and all she could think of was the cool water waiting a few feet away.

Ezio dismounted and trusted the horse to graze on a nearby meadow knowing by now that it was trained to not stray. He then proceeded to taking off his various shirts as Annalise stood looking out at the lake completely unaware that he was getting undressed.

Her attention being brought back to him when she saw him hop across in front of her struggling childishly with one of his boots. She blushed slightly once she saw him hop by, his back to her as his muscles rippled with every move me made. His complexion was slightly paler than Altair's, of course. His skin was used to the sun from Italy, certainly less harsh than the unforgiving Arabian sun.

"Got it!" he exclaimed in triumph once his boot slid off. He then turned to look at her, her cheeks flushed even more once she noticed his chest which was toned to perfection. His confused expression caught her eye and forced her to make eye contact with him finally.

"Are you not getting undressed?" he asked slightly amused as her cheeks achieved the deepest shade she could ever possibly attain at his question which could be interpreted in a million ways and he knew it.

"Not with you in the same lake," she shot back teasingly as he laughed as well in response. She crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest as she looked at him standing in front of her in defiance as well.

"So you are not going in?" he asked her, his grin only widening once she shook her head in denial to his request. His playful eyes flickered over to the dock on the lake and then back to her as she tried to comprehend what he was up to.

She let out a small gasp once she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist and toss her over his shoulder as she shrieked in embarrassment at being carried around like a rag doll.

"Ezio Auditore da Firenze put me down!" she squealed as he replied with his own laugh. She then understood what he had been scheming.

Time seemed to freeze as the assassin ran off the dock, Annalise still over his shoulder completely dressed as the pair fell into the water. He surfaced seconds later and looked around for her; he tilted his head not understanding where she could have gone when a pair of hands on his shoulders pushed him down into the water.

Annalise laughed as she executed her own revenge, after a moment she let him resurface finally as he turned to face her eyes full of amusement.

"Trying to drown me, si?" he asked teasingly splashing water at her as she retaliated with her own splash.

"The mighty Ezio, drowned by a girl, I like the sound of that," she shot back laughing as he swam over to her and pulled her to him with his arms.

"It is a shame you are still dressed," he whispered to her leaning in to smell her neck. She shivered feeling him so close, all the raw power he possessed and yet there he was submissive as a pup before its master. His lips seemed to ghost over her neck as she resisted the urge to voice out her complaints.

She couldn't stop herself however once he moved suddenly and bit the delicate skin on her collar bone.

"Stop teasing me Ezio," she purred at him. That was all the encouragement he needed to draw away from her neck and pay attention to her. Her lips met his first before he retaliated by deepening the kiss. He pulled away much to her disappointment and moved along her jaw kissing it softly before he found her lips again.

"Delicious," he whispered to her in a husky voice. She couldn't help but agreeing with him. She dropped all of her defenses and moved over to him once more, before she could do anything however a shrilling screech from above caused both of them to look up to the skies.

Ezio's blood ran cold, his whole body tensing as his eyes followed a pure white eagle soaring through the skies heading for the brotherhood. His throat dried while he bit his bottom lip, something was wrong. They only used a white eagle when something serious was about to happen or something important had come up, usually involving him and Altair.

"What's wrong?" Annalise asked beside him immediately knowing that Ezio was far from comfortable now as his eyes continued to follow the bird as it continued to head for the brotherhood. The assassin's eyes moved swiftly over to the horse and then to her.

"We need to go back, something happened," he replied in a grave tone as she nodded and proceeded to mounting the horse after him. He spurred Daredevil on and urged the horse to run faster towards the brotherhood.

He only hoped that it had nothing to do with him or Altair, white eagles always brought bad news for someone, he just prayed that it wasn't for them this time.

**Review! On a sidenote...Im going to need a female OC soon, one that preferably knows how to teach oriental dances and whatnot...if any of you want to volunteer just let me know, if not I shall have fun coming up with a new OC :D**


	15. Devil Take The Hindmost

**Devil Take The Hindmost...**

**A/N: I do apologize for the long wait, things have been hectic, we got two snakes and a dog over a short period of time, you can imagine how stressful that was, apart from me suffering from severe writers block..but not anymore! So do forgive me for the long ass time in updating, here it is mein freunde :D **

Altair stood in the meeting room, a disturbing silence surrounding him. He had his back to the other assassins in the room, but even so he could feel the nervous aura that surrounded them all. They kept shifting their stance and glancing back and forth at each other, something that trademarked their unease.

Ezio stood at the front of the pack, he was closer to Altair, and at the moment being so close to the grandmaster was dangerous at best. Whispers floated about from the crowd in the back, each as anxious as the next man in line.

Altair growled warningly without even glancing at them, in an instant he was rewarded with silence once more. The assassins all knew better than to agitate him more than needed.

The white eagle screeched above the brotherhood waiting for someone to provide it a perch of some sort in order to deliver its message. Around its talon was a blood red ribbon dancing gracefully in the air, a black envelope tied to it mocking the assassins below.

Altair glanced sideways at the assassins behind him and Ezio to find them all glued to the bird soaring above them. None of them made a move to retrieve a hawking glove. The grandmaster resisted the urge to sigh and rose his arm into the air.

Within a second the bird dove down and landed on Altair's arm much to the predicament of the other assassins who knew just how painful that was without protection. That said they all scampered in a mad search for something for the bird to dig its claws into.

Amidst the chaos several of the assassins collided into each other and crashed down to the floor in an unceremonious manner. Half of the men present lay sprawled on the ground complaining to one another to move out of the way.

The eagle grew restless upon witnessing so much movement and flapped its wings frivolously, its head bobbing angrily as it screeched at the humans in the room. Ezio heard the painful hiss that Altair let out after the bird dug its claws deeper into his arm, piercing his white robes and skin.

"Enough you dogs!" Altair barked out beyond furious gritting his teeth in pain. The whole room seemed to freeze, including the eagle. The assassins picked themselves up and shuffled to their feet while exchanging glances at the grandmaster whose face was shadowed over by his hood.

Ezio whoever moved forward and removed the note quickly and opened it. After he had read it he moved over to a nearby desk and wrote a quick reply, folded it and attached it to the eagle once more. The bird merely bobbed its head and dug its claws even deeper as Altair moved his arm over to the window and whispered something to the bird that none of them managed to catch.

It took off immediately after he was done and soared out of the brotherhood.

The setting sun seemed to provide the scene with a picture perfect moment. If only for a brief moment.

"I want Karim, Jamil, and Hadar ready by nightfall, we will be going to Medina, the rest of you…I want you out in the yard training until Malik tells you otherwise…now go," Altair ordered coldly without facing any of them as all of the assassins scurried out of the door thankful for receiving such kind punishment.

The three that had been picked out by Altair however headed in a different direction, they had to ready the horses and pack the rest of the equipment that they would come to need.

"Did you really need to be that harsh?" Ezio teased once everyone was gone and only they remained. Altair replied with a glare that could have held its own in hell, he was not in the mood for the younger assassin's teasing.

"Are they coming with us?" Ezio called after the Arab as the older assassin stopped at the door and pondered that question thoroughly. They had received a double contract; the first one would require some sort of distraction. An idea came to mind as he thought more on the situation before turning to Ezio who stood with his back to the window of the meeting room.

"They are not staying here," Altair replied calmly heading out of the room after seeing a grin spread across Ezio's expression.

The grandmaster cradled his bleeding arm and headed towards his room in a slow lethargic pace. Perhaps the bleeding had been more serious than he had given it credit for. He shrugged the pain off and shook his head slightly to get a better feel of himself before his leg caught on something and sent him crashing down to the ground.

He landed with a harsh thud followed by a groan that seemed so uncharacteristic of him before a startled and shaky voice brought him back to reality.

"Master I am so sorry!" Christina cried in a high pitch voice that rung in his ears painfully as she moved from her spot on the floor to his side. He could tell she had been cleaning the floors on her knees by the rag and bucket she carried…how could he have missed that?

She helped him up despite his protests and helped him lean up against a wall just beyond his room. She hovered around him to make sure he was fine despite his reassurance.

"I am so sorry, I will make sure I am paying more attention next time master," she apologized twirling the rag in her hands nervously. He shook it off before glancing towards the window of his room after catching a side glance of something.

His jaw nearly dropped as Monica made animal shapes with her hand at him before stopping and waving at him sweetly pretending nothing was wrong. A small tug at the end of his lips turned into a barely noticeable smirk before Christina caught on and turned to see what had made him of all people smile.

Monica dove out of sight just in time avoiding being caught by the maid. Altair shook his head ever so slightly once he heard the resounding thud followed by the distant cursing upon seeing Monica disappear from the window.

"Master, would you like me to treat that for you?" Christina asked once she made sure that no one was in the window despite her mind telling her otherwise. Altair merely glanced down at his arm and shook his head slightly.

"I will do it myself, send me the bandages and everything else that I shall need," he ordered already walking away from her once more.

She sighed deeply upon seeing him go; her time with him had been so brief. She twirled the rag even more and eyed the drops of blood on her clean floors before setting her cleaning tools aside and heading towards the room with the medical supplies.

"Why does the master not see me? Am I truly that useless and bothersome?" Christina asked herself blowing a strand of blond hair out of her face. She reached up to get everything she knew he would need and hesitated once she had everything in her arms. Why wasn't she enough?

She clutched the medical supplies close to her chest and held back the urge to cry.

Why wasn't she enough?

Why couldn't he just see that she loved him?

Why couldn't he accept her back?

Why…?

She pondered on those thoughts over and over until she remembered the current task she had and set off towards his room in the upper levels. She hurried down the halls not caring is she bumped into the other maids, for they knew where she was off to in such a rush. And they envied her deeply.

Whenever a chance came to get near Altair or Ezio they would all fight to be the ones that assisted them. They were like a pack of wolves; they got into scraps over who would be the lucky one to get to see the two most wanted men of the brotherhood.

She was merely the lucky one today, and she was overjoyed to help the grandmaster. Her loyalty ran so deep that if he would have asked her to jump off of a cliff she would have done so without any hesitation. So why couldn't he just see her undying devotion?

She shook her head of those thoughts and headed up the long spiral staircase leading to his quarters. She paused once she got to his door upon hearing him speaking inside…strange, she didn't remember seeing anyone else with him before. Perhaps Master Ezio was there as well?

She held her breath and put her ear to the door to listen more closely.

"Do you have any idea what could have happened if anyone saw you?" his harsh voice scolded as she rose her brow, it couldn't be Ezio that he was reprimanding. She went quieter still now fully intrigued to see where this was heading.

"Wake me when the lecture is over love," a woman's voice yawned as Christina nearly hissed in rage. The blood in her veins seethed; there was a woman in the master's room!

She would have thought it was another maid had it not been for the distinct way of talking that the woman had, and she had the nerve to talk back to the Master!

Certainly not a maid!

"You are reckless, I cannot even begin to think of what I would do if anyone caught you!" he snarled back as Christina resisted the urge to gasp. She had never heard him talk so much to anyone, in fact that was probably the most she had heard him talk in her lifetime.

"But I didn't get caught now did I? You guys need a little bit of chaos in your grey lives, and I'm willing to supply it!" the woman giggled madly.

Every second that went by sent Christina deeper and deeper into a black hole of hate towards whoever was in there with Altair. It had to be a low class harlot, but where was she from? Why did she speak in that dialect?

Endless questions ran through her mind until the woman spoke once more.

"Damn it Altair you're bleeding all over your carpet, what the hell did you do this time? Don't tell me Stiglitz got the better of you!" she joked stating to laugh as she received nothing but silence as a reply. No smartass remark, no planned excuse, nothing. Something so unlike Altair.

"…Altair? Do you need me to do anything…seriously, your bleeding all over the place," she told him sounding concerned beyond belief.

Somewhere in her hate indulged mind Christina finally came to her senses and breathed in deeply before knocking on the door eager to see who exactly was in there with the man of her dreams.

Altair who stood leaning up against a wall sprung up upon hearing the shy knocking and glanced at Monica who was lying face down on his bed looking up at him with something that he found strange to see in her expression. Without second thought he put his boot under her stomach and heaved her up without any trouble while trying to gently throw her over the side of the bed.

She was about to cry out in protest but stopped as soon as she saw him put his finger to his lips motioning for her to remain silent. She immediately knew she had to hide.

She saw no other way out than under the bed…again.

She managed to crawl under just in time before Christina opened the door with a blank expression, her eyes cold.

Altair merely acknowledged her briefly before moving over to a chair and sitting down on it tiredly. Monica watched curiously from the limited view that she had. Upon seeing him in that beat down state she came to realize how tired he truly was, it amazed her that he hid it so well.

"I brought you everything Master," Christina told him quietly in a monotone voice. Altair didn't even acknowledge her rather peculiar tone. He simply motioned for her to leave them on his desk. She did as she was told, slamming the materials down on the table and scanning the room briefly.

She saw nothing out of place, and she knew for a fact it was to high up for anyone to jump out of a window. Much less a woman.

Altair turned a critical eye on her once he noticed her obvious staring, his eyes glazed over dangerously. His whole body tensed up defensively on instinct, he didn't know why he was reacting like this, but it surprised him that he did it without thinking.

His expression turned into a deadly sneer upon seeing her remain longer than necessary, but the thing that put him on edge the most was the fact that she was looking for something or rather, someone.

"That is all, you are dismissed," he snapped defensively once more upon seeing her continue her searching. This sent him into an even deeper defensive mood. He stood from his chair rather quickly startling not only Christina but Monica as well as she continued to watch from underneath the bed.

"Get out, that is an order," he snarled his jaw clenched beyond belief, nostrils flaring upon seeing her glance at the bed and suspiciously.

She jumped at the tone of his voice, she had forgotten her place. She was a maid and he was the grandmaster, he could have her killed in mere seconds and yet there she was trying his patience. She shrunk under his smoldering gaze and backed out of the room with a bow.

She closed the door behind her and rushed down the hall, she had never seen him that angered at her before. It was as if he was trying to hide something from her, something that she would discover sooner or later.

She glanced at his room once more before heading down the hall, eyes down and hands fidgeting once in a while, she would find out even if it killed her.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Monica hesitated if only for a moment before coming out from her haven. She had never seen Altair so out of control before, it was as if something had snapped within him causing him to lose that vital mask he wore every day to disguise his thoughts and emotions.

She slowly and unsurely got out from underneath the bed with much difficulty after getting stuck several times much to her predicament. She finally crawled out with a triumphant sigh and turned to face him once more.

"You ok?" she asked shyly not wanting to test him any more with her unnecessary teasing. He merely ignored her and turned to his window, it was nightfall already, they would have to leave soon. He was in no condition to travel, but despite all of that he knew what had to be done.

"Pack your things, we are leaving tonight," he told her in a monotone voice which made her wince slightly. She sat down on his bed with a rejected expression on her face and sighed in discontent. He glanced at her upon noticing this and allowed himself the freedom of letting his mask slip if only for a moment.

"Do you know how to clean wounds?" he asked her quietly. Her head shot up instantly from its hung position, eyes bright once more at being spoken to. He resisted the urge to laugh, a minute ago she was in depression and now she was joyful once more.

"Well…not really, but there's always a first right?" she told him with a smirk crossing her legs on the bed and bouncing slightly with childish glee.

"I suppose you are right," he told her tossing her the supplies and rolling up his sleeve while walking to her. Her eyes instantly filled with panic much to his amusement.

"Wait…I didn't actually think you were serious…and much less on you!" she exclaimed upon eyeing the deep claw marks on his arm and the dried blood, defiantly not Stiglitz.

"You would have to learn it sooner or later, it is better if you were to start now," he commented sitting down next to her and extending his arm as she rose a brow and looked at the materials next to her. All she needed to do was put two and two together, not too hard to figure out. But of course having Altair as a patient didn't help, she didn't want to mess up or hurt him more than he already was.

Altair sighed, but not because of annoyance or impatience. A certain calmness reached him as she poked at the bandages next to him and then looked at the wounds on his arm; she had no idea what she was doing. And yet, he didn't care. He could teach her, that would be the easy part, but hell what was he dragging her into.

She didn't deserve any of this, neither did Annalise. They were from another time, another place, another life. Would they even remember them when they left…if they left…when they left…?

Upon pondering the last thought he grimaced slightly and sighed ever so slightly. It just so happened that at the same time she had been cleaning the blood off of his arm near a wound. She stopped, her eyes wide looking up at him in horror.

"Oh my god, did I hurt you? I'm so sorry, I'm not good at this I know but I'm still trying, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to," she ranted unaware of the reason of his sudden mood change.

"You did nothing wrong, I was just…pondering something," he told her cutting her apologies short as she nodded nervously. He found himself helping her along due to her being so unsure of herself. He insisted she use more pressure on the wounds, she was so careful with him, as if he would disappear the moment she did something wrong. He continued to guide her through the whole process as night drew closer and closer, the stars up above signaling the moment when they had to leave.

OoOoOoOoO

"But where are we going?" Annalise asked once more walking next to Ezio through the empty halls stopping periodically to check for anyone near.

"Medina," Ezio replied glancing around the corner and motioning her to follow once he confirmed no one was in it. She tried to recall history class and where exactly Medina was located but came up blank.

"You mentioned something about three other assassins, do they know about us?" she asked once more as they rounded the corner towards the stables.

"No, we have not told them, do not worry _bella, _any of them tries anything just tell me," he reassured her winking back to her as she blushed. She found it hard not to blush around the man, everything about him drew her in, she couldn't even fathom how this had happened without her knowing beforehand.

She didn't have enough time to ponder it though because as soon as they walked into the stables she was met by three extremely curious assassins.

"Who is she?" one of them asked as the other two shrugged and turned to Ezio for answers. Before any of them could say a word Daredevil reared up and neighed loudly pounding the dirt with his hooves.

"The man you want answers from just arrived," Ezio teased knowing none of them were stupid enough to question the grandmaster, much less him. Altair appeared just over the wall pausing slightly and pulling Monica up along with him with a little more difficulty than usual.

She took note not to grab his injured arm and pulled herself up. She lost her balance once she was up and much like Ezio ended up falling back into the pile of hay.

"Smooth, very smooth indeed," Annalise teased as Monica glared at her from her place on the ground.

"Just shut up and help me out of this," Monica snapped with a smirk as Annalise moved forward and pulled her partner up. Once they were both up and standing next to each other the three assassins were even more confused and amazed. They wanted to know everything about the two women in front of them, and yet by the looks and stances of their superiors were giving them, they knew better.

"We should move out_," _Ezio ordered as the three other assassins scampered onto their horses and looked at the two women who were still without a steed.

Before any of them could offer, Ezio pulled Annalise up without hesitation. The three sighed, so much for the blond. They turned to look at Monica who glanced at Daredevil questioningly before mounting behind Altair and wrapping her arms around him, Stiglitz in her lap clinging on to Altair's back much to the Grandmaster's agitation.

They sighed once more, so much for the brunette. So many questions, and yet, none of them were stupid enough to ask.

"_Andiamo,_" Ezio whispered to his horse as it reared slightly before setting out into a full gallop, Altair right next to him. The other three assassins following behind as the gates opened and closed behind them.

The journey ahead would be eventful to say the least. But in the distance a lonely maid, standing near a ledge was planning her revenge upon confirming her suspicions. Her eyes flared dangerously, her blond hair whipped around in the wind as she growled slightly, innocence lost.

"Devil take the hindmost," she hissed before turning sharply and heading back inside.

**Review! I cannot stress this enough...REVIEW! Or I will get Altair and Ezio to show up at your house and assassinate you ;D **


	16. Im Your Jekyll & Hyde

**I'm Your Jekyll & Hyde...**

**A/N: OMFG! How long has it been? I give you all permision to swear at me in the reviews ight? You have every right to curse and kill me. This chapter is filler for what is to come next, because dear readers, the next chapter is where things start to get ugly for everyone :D hint hint. Enjoy, and pardon for the time it took me to update. I had to lock myself in my room...literally in order to write this...pardon if it does not please some of you, but the next chappie should.**

"Ezio are we ever going to get there?" Annalise asked as the assassin in question looked back at her and smiled. They had been traveling for two days straight, stopping only to rest, eat, and water the horses.

"We still have two more days bella," Ezio replied over his shoulder as he snapped his reins causing his horse to pick up speed a little bit more. Annalise frowned upon hearing his reply. She had initially thought that they would only take two days, three tops to get there.

"Are there any places to shower nearby," she asked once more as Ezio thought about it. Now that he considered her question he found himself in a predicament. He knew how women were about taking baths; he had to be careful with how he replied. One wrong word and he could have Annalise choking him with frustration.

"Bella, do you really need to take a shower that badly?" Ezio questioned as an eerie silence followed.

"Of course I do! How long has it been…two days? I really need a bath," she begged, truth be told she knew Monica wanted one too. She just couldn't see why the assassins had to get to Medina so quickly. Would it really be so much trouble to stop for a moment to refresh themselves?

"Va bene, I will see what I can do," Ezio replied, there was nothing she could ask of him that he could refuse. He whistled loudly as Altair turned to look at him and nodded.

The master assassin whistled back to the other three who had been silent the entire time as they too nodded and started to slow the horses down. They couldn't have asked for a more perfect spot.

They found themselves in the middle of a dense forest, the thick foliage providing the perfect cover. The horses slowed to a stop as the assassins and two women dismounted. Immediately the assassins got the camp up and gathered their maps to figure out where they were and were they needed to head towards.

"Thank god, I was starting to lose feeling of my legs," Monica commented as Annalise walked stiffly over to her. Truth be told the two women couldn't figure out how the assassins did it, perhaps it was years of training, or simply practice, whatever the case, sitting for hours straight on saddles was something that the two women couldn't fathom how they did it.

"Karim, scout the area," Altair ordered as the assassin nodded and walked off to find important resources and to search the area for anything of use.

Monica plopped down on the dirt with an unpleased look on her face as Annalise followed.

"I'm so filthy I could easily be sold off as a slave," Monica commented looking at her dirt stained body and clothes. She didn't even want to think of her hair or the state in which it might be.

Annalise nodded in agreement while sighing, she too felt the need for a well-deserved bath. They had seen the slaves that were sold and traded in the towns as they passed through. The look of hopelessness on their dirt stained faces, the rags they wore as clothes dangling from their frail bodies. She knew she looked like that, maybe not as bad, but she could be confused for one of them.

"Has Ezio told you anything about their assignment? Monica asked curiously turning to look at Annalise. Her partner in crime shook her head. She had tried to get information out of Ezio but came up empty handed every time.

"Same here, it's like they don't really want us to know what job their supposed to be doing," Monica commented a little concerned. Was it that dangerous? Or was it simply too secretive for them to know.

Whatever the case she had a bad feeling every time the contract was brought up by the other assassins. Before she could ponder it further Karim returned from his scouting, panting and out of breath, clearly the Arabian sun was at its worst.

"There is a town not too far from here, a river a mile ahead, the rest is just forest," he reported as Altair nodded pleased with the results of the search. He then turned his head to look at Monica expectantly.

In turn she stared back confused, what was she supposed to interpret form his blank expression? She wasn't a mind reader after all.

"Weren't you mentioning the need for a bath?" Ezio commented stepping in for Altair as Monica resisted the urge to face palm. How was she supposed to figure that out?

"In a river?" Annalise exclaimed slightly outraged by the fact that they had to take a bath in cold water.

"What else did you expect," Hadar commented laughing as Monica shot a glare over to him.

"Just because were traveling with you doesn't make us assassins, were not used to riding for long periods of time or eating twice a day, and we certainly aren't used to taking baths in rivers," Monica snapped as Hadar resisted the urge to shoot back a witty comeback.

The woman had a point after all, they were far from assassins.

"We move out in thirty minutes, whether you take a bath or not," Altair added folding up the map and glancing at Monica once more. A cocky tilt of his head told her everything she needed to know, he was actually serious.

Annalise huffed trying not to choke the assassin before her. The nerve of men.

She glanced at Monica questioningly.

"Time is running out bella," Ezio added slyly watching the two women with eagle eyes daring them to stay where they were.

"Fine!" Annalise exclaimed throwing her arms into the air in a huff once more. Monica shaking her head, her partner had finally snapped, "I'll take a shower in the damn river, but if I get eaten by whatever is in the water….I'll come back and haunt you all until you lose your sanity," she added turning sharply and heading off into the direction Karim had pointed out.

Before Monica left however she noticed the assassins removing the top of their robes, she threw Ezio a questioning glance before he replied with something that made her want to take the bath and get it over with quicker, "we won't be stopping again for something like this, we might as well refresh ourselves as well," he replied removing his boots.

"If we spot any of you near the river, we'll knock you out and cut out your eyes," Monica warned before turning away and heading towards the river in a rush, Stiglitz meowing as if to emphasize her point as he curled into a ball on top of Altair's things. Throughout the whole trip the feline had been clinging onto Altair's back, he was going to enjoy the little time he had on firm land and nap before his master returned.

"The cat is going to be the death of me," Altair growled removing his shirt and throwing it on top of the cat. Much to his dismay Stiglitz didn't even stir. He ignored the cat and continued to undress as the sun blazed down upon their backs. An eagle soaring above catching their attention as they stopped their tasks and grimaced.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Hey kid, do you remember anything about biology?" Annalise asked as Monica searched through her mind. She tried to remember every animal she possibly could that inhabited the area, but came up blank when she reached the aquatic species.

"Aren't there like piranhas in some rivers?" Monica replied crouching down and running her fingers over the water.

"I thought that was in the Amazon," Annalise replied confused as well.

"I could have sworn they lived in parts of Asia," Monica added. She had to confess, she had never paid attention to her teachers. Perhaps if she had listened to their never ending lectures she would have avoided the predicament that they found themselves in.

"Only one way to find out eh?" Annalise replied stepping cautiously into the water; she got all the way up to her shorts before Monica followed still unsure of stepping into murky waters.

"Perhaps we should stay in the shallows," Annalise added once the water was up to their chest. Monica nodded before leaning back and submerging herself. Annalise following her lead.

"Water had never felt so good," Monica murmured washing away all of the dirt that had been caked on her arms due to Altair's reckless riding.

Annalise working on getting her hair clean as fast as possible also sighed in content.

"_Raggaze, _you are aware of the man eating fish in that river, si?" they heard Ezio call out as both of them froze their current task and turned to look at the Italian and Arab standing on the shore fully dressed once more. Altair trying to suppress a grin at the sight of the two women completely paralyzed in the water.

Both of the women bolted form their spot and splashed over to the shore, Annalise clinging to Ezio as Monica panted on Altair's chest.

"I was just kidding, you should have seen yourselves," Ezio laughed as Annalise scowled at him. She quickly found herself forgiving him and hugged him knowing she was drenched and he was fully clothed.

"Your horrible," Monica whispered trying to calm her nerves, she hated piranhas to begging with, now to actually picture getting eaten by one? That horrified her.

"Would you clean this off?" Altair asked quietly as Monica looked up at him, he motioned towards his dirt stained face, seeing how she was still wet she took her hands and moved them carefully using the water that was already on them to clean him up.

Ezio and Annalise watched the pair in silent content, they were finally starting to get used to each other, "that's amazing, I thought they were both too stubborn to get along," Annalise whispered leaning back against Ezio as he nodded in agreement.

"Andiamo, we do not want to ruin it," Ezio replied quietly, Annalise couldn't agree more. They started to leave, managing to leave the other two undisturbed.

Monica stopped as her hand hovered above the scar on his lips. She didn't want to push her luck, she closed her hand into a fist and was about to walk away when he leaned into her touch. She froze as she looked up at the most amazing pair of golden eyes she had ever seen.

Slowly she opened her hand and shakily brushed it over the trademark scar that she had always been familiar with. Seeing how he didn't move away she actually allowed her hand to rest above it, her finger tracing it lightly, she could never ask him where or how he had gotten it, he would probably push her away if she dared to open her mouth and ask.

She found herself starring at the real Altair, if only for a fraction of a moment. He wasn't the cocky bastard she had come to know when they were around other assassins, no…this was different.

"Why can't this be the man that I always see?" she asked quietly, tears of frustration pooling around her eyes. She dropped her hand in defeat, and a moment later his cold mask was back in place.

Ezio and Annalise who had stayed behind both frowned from their places a couple of feet back behind some trees.

"No…why did she walk away?" Annalise whispered in anger, Ezio shook his head. He would never understand the old man, had that been him he would have already kissed the woman and gotten it over with.

"Things are never what they seem," Ezio told her, "people have two distinct personalities…a façade if you will," he continued, "in the creed…it isn't an option, it is a vital rule to never let your emotions show, no matter what the situation may be," he added before pausing, "but we wear a mask for so long…we forget who we are," he told her as she nodded as she stared at her friend with frustration.

Nothing would have made her happier than to see them together, to finally admit what was already there. Her wish however seemed far away as she replayed the events from a few moments ago over and over again in her head.

"I am just thankful I have not lost myself," Ezio commented taking her hand kissing it gently. Annalise found it in herself to smile back at him.

"I'm glad too," she replied kissing his cheek before grabbing his hand and leading him back to camp before the other two noticed they were still there.

Altair observed Monica as she pulled away from him, he would have pulled her back had he been able to. He just didn't know what to do anymore, how to react, how to feel. He was empty when he wanted to feel full of emotions. Empty.

The creed had done this, "what do you expect me to do, to tell you why I cannot feel anything sometimes? Why I block everyone out?" he thought out loud as she turned to face him.

"Why won't you trust anyone Altair? Why? What happened to you that made you like this?" she cried trying her hardest to not choke the man in front of her to get all of the questions that she had in her mind answered.

"What was done to me was monstrous," he shot back not willing to go any further with the conversation before she cut him off.

"But you're not a monster, we both know that," she replied amazed that he was even talking with her with such openness, "you have to let someone in…before you pass the point of no return and destroy yourself," she pleaded with him.

Their conversation ended however when hooves pounding the ground approached. Monica wiped her tears away before looking at Altair again. All emotion gone from his expression.

Annalise squeezed Ezio's hand and rested her head upon his back with sadness.

"We got another order, they said to be there by tonight, the matter at hand is urgent and the assassination has been planned to occur sooner than what we had planned," Jamil informed Altair as the master assassin nodded.

Altair mounted his horse in one swift movement as Monica approached him with a sad look in her eyes.

He offered his hand to her, and with his help she mounted behind him.

"I do not know anyone as stubborn as you, you alone can save me…or destroy me, I leave the decision to you," he whispered back to her as the horses set off once more at a breakneck speed.

She merely laid her head upon his back as well, "you already know what I chose," she whispered back, a smile spreading throughout her expression.

Medina awaited them, but then again…so did their unexpected separation.

**Review!**


	17. Domino Effect

**Domino Effect...**

**A/N: Well, I've noticed alot of you added this story to alert and favorites...but dont forget to review D: anyway side note to some of you:**

_**adrine R.227: Dont worry, your OC will come in next chapter since they finally got to Medina! It took forever to get there, but they finally arrived so look forward to the next chappie! ;D**_

_**SeazTheDay: Glad you like my OC'S, I never thought people would like them so much :D It makes me fell so much better when people say that they can relate to them! **_

_**Aurum-Animi: Glad you like the story...as for their ages...I'm surprised that I havent mentioned them actually XD they are both around 18 since by now they would be done with highschool, but something has been eating away at me...when I first wrote the story I intended Altair and Ezio to be mid twenties, so the difference would be too much to make it wierd or anything, but I truly do not know how old they are in the games, ( Assassins Creed I & II) that has bothered me for ages!I've been trying to cut down on the swearing as well, since I took that into account as well. As for the whole beta reader thing...let me tell you I got lectured by a friend when she found out I was the author of this story lmfao! She went off on my for like an hour on how I should double check before posting and all that crap while I merely drowned her out and sang a tune in my head :D Nevertheless I sent this to her before posting on here, I hope she caught my mistakes, if not tell me and I would be glad to have you as my beta! **_

**Enjoy!**

"Wake up, we are here," Altair murmured looking back at Monica who merely ignored his request, she wasn't about to wake up just because they had arrived at Medina. Ezio on the other hand didn't even have to wake Annalise; she was wide awake even before they arrived. Her eyes couldn't have gotten any wider as they scanned the city in the distance.

The buildings towered over the surrounding walls, the torches from guards making their rounds caught her eye, the small specks of fire were evenly distributed throughout the city giving it an eerie glow. The security was tighter here; there were guards along the walls with arrows and bows walking back and forth making sure no intruders slipped into the city without them knowing.

"Kid wake up, this is amazing!" Annalise exclaimed admiring the beautiful city while trying to wake Monica with the volume of her voice.

"I'm up, I'm up….killjoy," Monica murmured tiredly while yawning. She didn't really want to see the city at the moment, it was late and she wanted to sleep but with Annalise talking every time she saw something new it was hard to block out her voice and sleep at the same time. She opened her eyes lazily and glanced over at the city, she whistled admiringly at it. She poked her head over Altair's shoulder trying to get a better view of everything.

"Told you it was amazing," Annalise commented laughing upon seeing Monica fully awake in a matter of seconds.

Ezio looked back at Annalise and then at Monica before exchanging silent glances with Altair. They were acting like they had never seen a city like Medina at night. Then again, they probably didn't have this in the future; surely the cities were all changed.

"It is even more beautiful during the daytime bella," Ezio commented looking back at Annalise. Her eyes remained locked on the city ahead, it was already impressive during the nighttime, she couldn't bring herself to picture it during the daytime, she just couldn't.

"How do you guys plan on getting inside?" Monica asked. This question caused the other assassins to exchange glances at Ezio and Altair. Despite all of the time they had spent planning the assassination the question on how they were going to get into Medina undetected had never been brought up.

This didn't bother the two assassins in front of the pack; they already knew various ways to get in without being noticed. Several of those however involved climbing, something they knew the two women riding behind them were still incapable of doing.

"We have two options, we go through the tunnels or create a distraction, I leave the choice to you," Altair said while looking to Ezio. The three assassins behind them had never been to Medina, how were they expected to know of the so called "tunnels".

"A distraction would only cause security to be increased, with the contract near we cannot afford something like that…we go in through the tunnels," Ezio answered analyzing the city, but more importantly the guards that were currently visible. He knew Altair wasn't stupid, there were more guards hiding in the shadows out of sight, simply walking in wasn't an option even when they were the only ones entering the city. But now with two women and three inexperienced assassins they certainly didn't plan on taking the dangerous choice.

"Tunnels?" Hadar asked looking to Karim and Jamil. The three had no idea where the two assassins in front had gotten the idea of entering a city through tunnels. As far as they were concerned, there were no tunnels leading into Medina.

"They lead under the city, we will remain out of sight and the noise of the water will mask our own," Ezio replied as he snapped the reins to his horse while directing it in the direction of the entrance to the underground tunnels. Altair followed not looking forward to having to walk through cramped spaces. He knew if they were to get caught fighting would be next to impossible in such close quarters.

They slowed the horses near the southern wall surrounding the city and dismounted while leading the large animals over to the entrance of the tunnels. Just like they remembered there was a hitching post just outside the pitch black gateway.

"Hitch the horses here, someone will pick them up in the morning," Altair ordered leaving his mount, but not without running a hand across the mane of the black beast and caressing its neck. Ezio parting with his own steed with a sad look in his eyes, he hated to leave his horse out in the open like this. They could always be stolen by some thief looking for easy money, but then again the horses were trained to buck anyone who wasn't their master.

"We have to go in there?" Annalise asked pointing to the dark entrance and then looking at Ezio and the rest of the assassins like they were crazy.

"Come on kid, it's not so bad…I think the Boogeyman might live there, we need to catch up I haven't seen him in a while," Monica commented poking her head into the dark tunnel. Now that she looked closely it truly was gruesome, there was little to no light and there was cold water running through it leading to the city.

"The Boogieman does not live there, it's too creepy even for him," Annalise snapped as a shriek of some sort echoed through the walls causing her to step back slightly.

"We cannot stand out here, we are going in whether you want to or not," Altair ordered looking around for any guards that might have seen them. The longer they stood out in the open discussing their situation the higher the chances of being caught increased.

"Who's going in first?" Monica asked looking around.

No one moved a single muscle.

Altair couldn't believe his eyes, sure the tunnels were dark but there was no devil hiding beneath the city of Medina. He looked at the assassins standing behind the women who all diverted their eyes elsewhere to avoid making eye contact with him, all of those years of training and they were afraid to go into a dark tunnel.

He merely walked towards the entrance while glaring at the younger assassins as he passed by them. Monica resisted the urge to push him in as he leaned into the entrance and stepped inside. She followed after him already feeling confined in the small space that the tunnels provided. Annalise followed behind her partner seeing how Ezio wanted to keep an eye on both of them, he didn't plan on losing one of them in the complicated paths.

The three assassins stepped in after the women, Ezio walking in last closing the gate behind him and following the rest of the group. They walked in a straight line, using the walls as guides in the darkness.

The tunnels were filled with the aroma of wet dirt, the dampness in the air seemed to suffocate the group as they made their way silently through he twisting paths, their every step ended with the sounds of splashing due to the water which reached their upper chests.

Altair freezing up suddenly causing Monica to ram straight into his back, Annalise running into Monica as well, the rest of the group doing the same only confirming Altair's suspicions that they had not been paying attention. . The domino effect irritating Altair as he stumbled forward for a moment or two before regaining his balance and glaring back at the group following him who in turn stared back with innocent expressions. He stared straight ahead for a moment or two holding up his hand motioning for them to remain put.

He tilted his head slightly as Monica poked her head over his shoulder once more and looked ahead trying to see what had caught his attention, "What is it?" she whispered causing him to jump slightly earning himself a questioning glance from her.

Monica looked back at Annalise only to get a shrug from her as they all stopped to see what had gotten the Grandmaster all worked up.

"What is it?" Ezio asked from the back as Altair motioned for them to be quiet once more.

"Listen," he hissed looking back at them as they all held their breath and tried to hear what he had been talking about despite the strong current of water that rushed throughout the tunnels. Any slip or fall would surely end in the current sweeping them away, and at the moment that didn't seem like a good idea.

They could distinctly hear someone splashing through the water up ahead where the tunnels split in four different directions, their eyes were focused on the paths waiting for whoever was making the noise to pass through. Much to their surprise a child ran by pure panic in his expression followed by three guards with their swords drawn out, torches in their free hands.

Annalise moved forward ready to help the poor boy only to be stopped by Altair who caught her by the back of the shirt. She was about to protest when she saw Monica move forward as well only to be caught with his other hand.

"He needs help," Annalise whispered angrily trying to pull herself out of his iron grip. Monica trying to do the same as the light from the torches ahead started to dim.

"You cannot help everyone," Altair murmured calmly as both of the women turned to look at him. His gaze however was directed in the direction the boy had run off into. Annalise was shocked to see a hint of emotion on the Grandmaster's face, it was as if he was remembering something that had happened long ago.

"If they catch him, he's dead," Monica added a little more loudly squirming in his grasp. Altair let go of Annalise sensing she would not run after the child and shook Monica ever so slightly.

"Then he will die," he whispered to her, her jaw dropping upon hearing the words he had just told her.

"He's just a child!" Annalise exclaimed trying to hold back the tears in her eyes as the torch lights completely disappeared and a loud commotion echoed throughout the walls.

"He was a thief," Karim added from behind her, his grey eyes gleaming eerily in the dark as they locked on her own hazel eyes wide in surprise upon hearing what he had just said.

"What?" Annalise asked confused looking back and forth at him and Altair who still had Monica in his grasp. She had long ago stopped trying to get away, but he knew as soon as he let go she would run off.

"Bella he had a bag of coins in his hands," Ezio replied as Annalise nearly smacked herself upon realizing the lack of attention she had to the small details. She hated thieves, but still…he had been just a child. The loud commotion that had started moments ago suddenly seemed to stop, the tunnels going quiet once more.

"They caught him already," Altair murmured to Monica as she eased her tense muscles and sighed. He finally let go of her confident that she wouldn't run off.

"Mademoiselle-" Hadar started before being cut off by Monica.

"You're French?" she asked surprised turning to see him despite the fact that she still wanted to run ahead and see if the child was dead or still alive.

"My father was French, I picked up the language form there…but that is not important," he replied before turning to look at Annalise once more, "there is a rather large spider on your head," he told her pointing to her hair as her skin went paler than the moon.

Monica turning to her partner as well, her eyes widened in horror upon seeing the large animal on her hair, instantly the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Shivers ran up and down her body as she looked at Annalise who was still frozen in her spot.

"GET IT OFF!" She yelled panicked shaking her head, her whole body going into panic mode. Monica moved forward as quickly as the current would allow her to try and help her friend but not before Annalise lost her footing and slipped falling into the water. The spider had long ago been thrown from her hair by her harsh shaking, but now her predicament wasn't the animal.

The current carried her quickly as Monica dove trying to grab her hand desperately as she passed by them. She too losing her balance and falling into the water, the current taking both of them as Altair resisted the urge to face palm. All of this had been caused by a spider…what was the world coming to?

He moved forward quickly and managed to grab Monica's leg but the current managed to pull him along as he too fell into the water panic kicking in.

"Master!" The three assassins exclaimed all diving forward but crashing into each other upon trying to move in such a confined space. Three more bodies were claimed by the current as they were dragged away by the water. Ezio could hardly believe his eyes as he watched his group get dragged by the current.

"Dio, why should they have all the fun?" he asked himself as allowed his body to fall back and be taken away by the current as well, he knew where it led out to anyway, it's not like any of them were in danger. Well, perhaps Altair was in danger of having a heart attack…

Ezio couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Altair at the moment, had the two women never tagged along they would have climbed over the side of the wall, something that he would find boring after this little ordeal was done. Who wanted to climb when you could get carried away to your destination by a current of water?

"We're going to die!" Annalise choked at the front of the group as Monica struggled to regain her balance and keep herself from drowning, Altair at the moment didn't even know what was going on, all he cared about was keeping his head above water no matter what. His arms flailed helplessly trying to avoid his head form going under before Monica remembered the fact that he wasn't very fond of water. She managed to grab a hold of his arm before pulling him close to her making sure that he didn't go under once more before spitting out water from going under so many times.

The three assassins trying to regain their footing but failing, once the current got you there was no way of getting out of it. Ezio who was all the way at the back wasn't flailing, or panicking. On the contrary, he found himself staring up at the tunnel ceiling, his arms crossed behind his back peacefully as the current carried him along.

The tunnel however ended up ahead, Annalise could see the opening illuminated by the moon, she didn't know where the tunnel led to. For all she knew they could be going off the side of a cliff, if that was the case their chances of survival had just been cut down.

She prayed that this wasn't the case as she felt her body being emptied out into a body of water followed by several other splashes indicating that the rest of the group had also made it out of the dark tunnels. They all stumbled to their feet upon falling into the center of a large water fountain in the middle of a square. Altair's chest heaving as he stood up shakily turning his head to see the small man made waterfall they had just come through.

"Were in the middle of Medina," Ezio added amazed once he picked himself up from the water and looked around making sure everyone had made it our alright without any injuries. Everyone seemed unharmed except for Altair who stumbled over to the side of the pond and pulled himself out of it with difficulty landing on his back once he had gotten out.

"Oh my god is he ok?" Annalise exclaimed running over to the side of the fountain while pulling herself out of it followed by Monica.

Ezio rushing over to the side of the fountain as well, perhaps the whole ordeal had been too much…

The other three assassins pulling themselves out of the water as well while rushing over to their masters. Altar merely laid there without moving as they all stood over him.

"Altair…look at me!" Monica exclaimed smacking the side of his face, panic creeping over her once he made no move to obey her orders. Ezio crouching next to him as well, a smile settling on his face.

"He is fine," he commented placing a hand on Monica's shoulder trying to comfort her as Annalise continued to watch growing concerned upon seeing Altair lying on the ground. She had never seen him like this, but then again…if she was horrified of water she would have probably died of a heart attack the moment the current swept her away.

"Come, we must leave before any guards show up," Ezio added carrying Altair over his shoulder. He would have to keep an eye on the old man overnight just to make sure he was fine.

He led the way followed by the two women while the three assassins trailed at the back trying to recall the events which had led them to this moment. They walked hurriedly through alleyways and streets stopping every time a guard passed by them. It seemed to take them centuries to get to the bureau, but when they finally did they all uttered a sigh of relief.

They all dropped down into it as Ezio paused and set Altair down in the middle of a large mass of pillows making sure he hadn't woken up yet, god only knew how much that man needed rest. The assassins and two women walked into the bureau as the Rafiq in charge glanced up at them before turning his gaze to the women.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked setting his pen down and turning to look at Ezio demandingly.

"Altair will explain in the morning, Raameen," Ezio replied not wanting to do the explaining himself as the Rafiq rose a brow in questioning at the two women.

"I do not see why he cannot explain this now," Raameen commented before noticing Altair wasn't among the group currently inside of the bureau.

"There was an incident with getting into Medina without getting caught, he is merely unavailable at the moment," Ezio snapped getting defensive.

"I see…" Raameen replied eyeing the women once more, "we shall sort his mess out in the morning, _Tesbah ala Khair,_" he added before dismissing them all. Ezio merely bowed his head and headed out to the area with the pillows followed by the rest of the group.

After shedding some clothing they all managed to fall asleep, if only for a period of time.

No one wanted to think about tomorrow, all that mattered was the fact that they were all alive and breathing, but that too would change soon…

**Review! :D**


	18. Agents of Chaos!

**Agents of Chaos!**

**A\N: Sorry for the long wait my dear readers, I was planning on updating a long chapter today, but my inspiration was cut short by a flame none the less...all inspiration left me and I was left with tormented thoughts of a story I had been so sure of, but now they were plagued with thoughts of doubt...perhpaps I should stop writing this...let me know what you think...pardon if this chapter is not my best...my heart was missing today in my writing and Im sure it shows, my sincere apologies. The OC introduced in this chapter isnt mine, it belongs to adrine .227...and I apologize if I didnt do her justice, like I said before, my muse simply left me...let me know what you would like improved, and for the 50th time...I apologize to you and all of my readers. **

Annalise woke with a start after receiving a light kick to the side of her stomach. Her tired eyes slowly focused in on a woman standing over her.

"Piss off, it's still morning man," she mumbled thinking it was Monica, but instead got a chuckle that was so uncharacteristic of her partner in crime that it managed to get her to sit up. Her open eyes finally focused in on another female standing over them, perhaps a little bit older than her with bright blue eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Uh…do I know you?" Annalise asked shaking Monica trying to wake her as well as the other woman tilted her head, her braided brown hair following the motion of her head as it fell over her shoulder effortlessly.

"I haven't introduced myself yet," she replied crouching down to Annalise's eye level, a smirk on her face as she stretched her hand out to her, "I'm Adrine," she told her as Annalise eyed her hand wearily before taking it and shaking it.

"What the hell do you want kid…it's still too early," Monica mumbled as Annalise continued her persistent shaking trying to wake her.

"I must admit I regret being the barer of such bad news…but it is 3 in the afternoon already," Adrine told Monica as the other woman sat up immediately upon not recognizing the voice that had replied to her protest.

"Have we met?" Monica asked sleepily amused that the woman standing over them would think of waking them. She tilted her head waiting for a reply from the stranger before Ezio shifted in his sleep. Panic flashing across Adrine's eyes indicated to both of the women staring at her that she wasn't supposed to be there with them.

She sighed in relief once the assassin settled back down without waking and turned to face Monica once more.

"I'm Adrine," she told her as Monica nodded in understanding. Truth be told she was already starting to like the woman in front of them; she looked like the type that would do anything and be able to get away with it. After all…she had the audacity to wake them, that alone was a feat considering how hard it was to wake either of them.

"So tell me this…what are you doing here?" Annalise questioned glancing at Ezio and Altair who were sleeping on the opposite side of the bureau completely oblivious to the newcomer.

"I just thought you two would like a little bit of a break from those two," Adrine added motioning over to the pair of assassins with her head, "trust me…I know how they argue, and they have no sense of fun!" she told the pair in front of them who resisted the urge to let their jaws drop open.

"You know them?" Monica asked astonished that she had hit the mark about both assassins. She had a point after all, they argued like there was no tomorrow.

"Know them? I've had to share this space with them my entire life," she confessed as Annalise nodded sympathizing with her imagining what she must have been through with the pair of assassins sleeping a couple of feet away. "My father is in charge of this place, you can just imagine what I've had to go through," she laughed motioning over to the entrance into the main part of the bureau.

Monica stared at her in shock; she seemed so simple at first. In such a short time they had found out that she lived in the bureau, that her father was in charge of overseeing Medina, and that she had to share moments of her life with the pair passed out across form them.

"I can't even begin to fathom what you must have suffered with that ice cube over there," Monica chuckled feeling like she had known Adrine for years. She was so easy to talk to, and had a pleasant presence to her that was hard to find now a days.

"Ah…so you know Altair, yes I must admit he needs to get out more, it's always work with that man," Adrine replied as Annalise continued to eye her curiously.

"I'm assuming you know Ezio as well," Annalise commented as Adrine's face lightened up considerably.

"Of course I know him, now there's a man who knows how to have the time of his life," she laughed recalling all of her childhood memories with the Italian, "there was that one time with the merchant and a bag full of white powder-" she started before she was interrupted by Altair shifting as well.

Unlike Ezio he groaned in protest due to all of the noise and reached for the nearest pillows to cover his face and shield him from the light. Adrine locked her eyes on him until she felt he was sleeping once more before turning to both women who stared at her incredulously.

"Well, do you two want to stay here, or do you want a tour of the city?" she asked excitedly as both women shot to their feet eager to look around without having Ezio or Altair watch over them like worried guardians.

"I must admit, I have a feeling we're gonna get along just fine," Monica told her as Adrine nodded back agreeing with her. Truth be told ever since she walked in and laid eyes on them she knew they would be her salvation from her locked up life in the bureau. She would finally have someone to wander the city with without having to worry about her father getting too concerned.

"I agree, where were you the whole time?" Annalise laughed as Adrine moved over to the entrance of the bureau and motioned over to a small ladder she had made herself out of rope and spare wood.

"Well that helps," Monica admitted climbing up after casting a second glance at the assassins to make sure they were sound asleep. The trip had probably been harsh because they didn't even stir. Annalise following her lead, Adrine climbing up last making sure to pull up the ladder to erase any traces of them ever leaving although she knew they would find out sooner or later when the assassins woke up.

"Let's get started,"Annalise smirked as they dropped down into the city. They had barely met and they already seemed inseparable. That of course was never a good thing when it came to the newly formed trio.

OoOoOoOoOoO

No sooner had Ezio woken up that he shook Altair's arm desperately noticing that the women were missing. The master assassin woke with a sneer and got ready to lecture Ezio only to notice their absence as well.

He was about to ask where they were when the bells started to sound outside. His brow furrowed as he noticed it was dark already; surely they wouldn't be out at this hour. He turned to Ezio with a demanding look in his eyes only to be greeted by the infamous trio dropping down in a fit of laughter and cackles.

Their clothes all caked with white powder with splashes of other more vibrant colors. His piercing gaze burning holes into their backs as he waited for them to realize they were awake. Ezio eyeing the trio as well holding in a groan of frustration, he knew this was coming the moment they set foot into Medina. The pair of women were simply uncontrollable and unpredictable, add Adrine into the mix and they had one hell of a combination. Pure chaos would surely follow wherever they went.

Monica was the first to turn and stop laughing as soon as she laid eyes on Altair who stood with his arms crossed angrily, Ezio beside him with a straight face that was so foreign on his features.

"We can explain," Annalise mumbled turning around as well followed by Adrine who now regretted acting so recklessly when she knew the punishment that awaited them when they got back.

"For your sakes…this better be one glorious explanation," Altair snarled stalking into the bureau followed by Ezio who merely looked down trying to restrain his anger. HE followed after the master assassin knowing the never-ending lecture that would follow the moment the women stepped in after them.

"It was worth it, don't blame yourself for it…we needed that," Monica reassured Adrine who looked down ashamed of getting the other two into trouble already. She looked up slightly when Monica spoke to her, but shortly after dropped her gaze once more.

"You try my patience!" Altair barked causing the three to jump startled only to recover and walk slowly into the bureau solemnly, heads held low ready for the lecture that was to come.

"This is going to drag," Annalise murmured earning herself a smirk from Monica; she already knew what was waiting for them. Sure a pissed off Altair and an agitated Ezio weren't something pleasant to witness…but she had to admit it was all worth it.

"Would you mind explaining what that is about?" Ezio questioned as the alarms continued to blare against the cold night air. Annalise looked to Monica and then Adrine before speaking.

"The market place simply went…" she trailed off holding back a chuckle at the memories that resurfaced form moments ago.

"Boom!" Monica finished for her cackling as Adrine choked back a laugh as well. BY now Ezio was curious to see what sort of prank the trio was capable of pulling, but he could tell Altair was displeased, and that was never a good thing, especially so close to a contract of such importance.

Altair's eyes narrowed before a screech form outside caused his attention to shift towards outside completely forgetting the women in front of him, "I expect them to know all that they have to do at the palace by tomorrow…we will resume this conversation later," he snapped to Adrine before rushing outside causing Monica to look after him worriedly. Ezio following closely regret written all over his face as he too ignored the women and stepped outside to receive the latest development from the creed.

The eagle dove downwards and dropped a message. Ezio opened it rapidly and stared at the letters inside with shock as Altair read the message over the Italian's shoulder. The words were simple, and yet they tormented both of the assassins:

'_There is a traitor in the creed, _

_Trust no one until this is taken care of,_

_-Malik'_

**_Review..._**


	19. Im Not Yours!

**Im Not Yours!**

**A/N: Sorry I took so long! I had to get a lot of crap together in a short period of time, this is a filler chappie for what is to come...yes, people shall die in the next chapter! Enjoy!**

Water.

That was all they could hear, all they could see. Water rushed around them as they stared at it from the bank of the river. The three women stared at the crystal blue liquid dreadfully as it rushed by them. Their eyes followed the flowing current unaware of the two men up in the trees behind them.

"They act like they have all of the time in the world," Ezio commented tilting his head as Altair stretched his right arm painfully making a grimace in the process. Ezio took note of it, that was the arm that held the hidden blade after all, and to have it aching was deadly to an assassin.

Altair threw him a warning glance that made him turn his attention back to the women but not without catching Altair grimacing once more.

"What are they waiting for, we have been waiting for an hour," the master assassin snarled impatiently as Ezio cast a concerned glance at him. He had been acting strange ever since they got the note from Malik informing them of the traitor.

"I know women, they are very picky about where they choose to bathe, either the water is too cold, or it is too warm," Ezio commented trying to make up for the fact that they had been waiting for the trio to take a bath in order to escort them back to the bureau.

They were no longer allowed to go anywhere without an escort after the last prank that had happened at the market. It seemed that as time went by Altair grew more and more restless, eventually both of the assassins had climbed up on a nearby tree to see what the women were doing. It only fueled the master assassins rage when he noticed they weren't even in the water yet.

That's how they ended up where they were now, hot, tired, and impatient. The blazing sun bore down upon them causing them to shift on the frail branch. The wood groaned causing both men to freeze for a moment just before they eased up when the branch made no further movement.

"I grow tired of this," Altair growled clenching his fist, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the river with hate. Ezio cast a sideways look at the assassin next to him and nearly lost his footing when he saw Altair's expression. Had he not known the grand master for so long, he could have sworn he was ready to climb down and murder the women in front of him.

Whether his arm was hurting immensely, or the betrayal was hitting him full force, Ezio knew Altair wasn't to be messed with. His thoughts were brought back down to earth when he felt the weight of the branch lessen. He looked to where Altair had been standing moments ago to find an empty space. The grand master had jumped down and was stalking over to the three women standing near the shore.

Ezio panicked and jumped down after the older assassin. He landed in a painful crouch, having jumped from a higher branch than Altair before he ran after the assassin in question.

The three women turned away from the river once they heard some rustling nearby just before Altair stepped out of the brush, his clothes stained with dirt and a fresh cut on his upper cheek from storming through the forest.

Before any of them could say a word he walked over to Monica and picked her up while swinging her over his shoulder. He walked directly into the river until the water reached his waist before dropping her and walking back out. She cried out just before hitting the cold water with a harsh splash upon being dropped in such a manner.

Annalise started to walk away from the fuming assassin before he caught her around the waist as well and swung her over his shoulder before walking over to Adrine who tried to back away from him. He grabbed her as well and carried her over his shoulder as well before walking into the river and tossing them both in as well receiving startled cries and curses.

The three women surfaced just in time to see Ezio appear near the bank out of breath, his clothes were cut up as well from having to run through the forest to catch up to the grand master. Altair walked out of the river with a sneer on is expression which he directed towards Ezio when the Italian opened his mouth to ask what he had done.

"I expect you to remain here until they are done, you are to return to the bureau after that," Altair snapped glaring back at the women who stared at him in shock. He then turned his gaze to Ezio softening the glare ever so slightly before leaving once more heading back towards the city.

Adrine cast a worried glance towards Monica upon realizing Altair was in one of his 'Get out of my way or die' moods. Annalise also glanced at Monica before her partner in crime dropped open her mouth in shock.

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" Monica exclaimed throwing her hands up in the air in a freeze position. The other two women exchanged glances before swimming back to shore followed by Monica. The three women reached Ezio within seconds, each with their own questions regarding the grand master.

"Was it something I did?" Monica asked panting as she tried to get all of the water out of her hair. Ezio shook his head towards her as he watched Adrine undo her braid with a frown and squeeze out the water from her now damaged hair. Now that he truly looked at the women, all of their hair was damaged due to the unexpected swim.

"It is nothing personal, bella," Ezio replied looking at Monica who nodded still not fully convinced. She turned to look at Annalise who merely shrugged at her partner in crime not knowing what to say to assure her.

"It's the contract isn't it?" Adrine asked looking in the direction Altair had gone off to. She frowned, she didn't like to see him that stressed, surely it wasn't good for him. She silently cursed herself for caring so much for the man; after all he was such an apathetic person when it came to her.

Ezio's eyes locked on Adrine's own pair; with that look alone she knew the contract wasn't the only thing on the grand master's mind. Surely something was bothering him immensely, and no one could do anything to set him at ease.

"It is not only that, but the note Malik sent a day ago, and to make matters worse I have noticed he has a hard time moving his right arm quickly," Ezio admitted trusting the three women in front of him, he knew that whatever he said would not be repeated or else he would get butchered by Altair for telling them. "That is never a good sign when you are an _assassino," _he added before noticing Monica's frown deepen.

She didn't even notice Altair was in pain, nor did he mention anything about a note being sent by Malik. Annalise frowned as well, Ezio had never mentioned any of this to her before, and after what he had told them she was starting to get concerned.

Both men were stubborn, that much she was sure of, and neither of them said anything about what was bothering them.

Adrine looked at the two women in front of her, both worried sick over a pair of assassins and it instantly clicked. She had to restrain herself from face palming, sure it was easier to tell with Annalise and Ezio, but she had just noticed with Altair and Monica.

She now understood why the grand master had dismissed the prank with a wave of his hand instead of lecturing them and why he allowed them to do things that he normally wouldn't do himself.

Adrine found herself smiling, her lips curving slowly upwards catching Ezio's attention.

"What?" he asked confused as he stared at the woman in front of him. He had known her for so long, he knew what that smile meant by now.

Upon hearing the Italian question her the smile on her lips only seemed to grow followed by Ezio's own smirk.

"They need some time away from there Ezio, and so does Altair," Adrine commented earning questioning glances from both women who were only concerned on getting dry.

"Do you have any idea of what he will do to me if he finds out that we went there?" Ezio told Adrine, by now Annalise and Monica were curious to see what the pair was talking about.

"Oh but I do have an idea, he will be furious, and he will probably go out looking for us," Adrine replied laughing, "but we have to get their outfits done…after all, it was both of your decisions that they went through with this," she told him as Ezio backed up and threw her an innocent look.

"It was Malik's suggestion!" the Italian shot back as Adrine tried to suppress a laugh.

"It doesn't matter whose idea it was, they have to get their outfits," she told him, "and there's only one part of town to do that," she added with a smirk of her own. Ezio wasn't about to start complaining either.

"Pardon me…but uh, what are you guys talking about?" Annalise asked as Monica poked her head over her partner's shoulder and nodded with a confused look.

"You will see, follow us," Adrine told them braiding her hair in a hurry and tossing it back over her shoulder taking both women by the arms and walking ahead as Ezio looked after them and sighed before following.

It was only a matter of time before Altair found out and skinned him alive, for now thought he would enjoy all that Medina offered.

OoOoOoOoO

"Are we supposed to be here?" Monica shouted squeezing through the crowd struggling to keep up with Adrine who was up ahead looking from stand to stand for a particular merchant.

Exotic dancers surrounded them; music flowed around them as incense clouded their minds. Ezio trailed at the back throwing sheepish grins at the dancers who winked at him as he passed by. He continued to smile despite the fact that he was expecting Altair to storm through the crowd in order to kill him for bringing the pair of women here.

He knew the master assassin would think twice before coming to this part of town however, Ezio was recognized by all of the courtesans in Italy, the same could be said for Altair in Medina. All of the exotic dancers knew the grand master due to his reputation and looks, and the fact that he was Arabic only seemed to increase their attraction towards him.

"Here we are!" Adrine shouted back squeezing though a crowd of people to reach a small stand in the middle of the large corridor that held all of Medina's dancers and merchants.

Annalise found her way to Adrine and Monica who was already staring at the stand in shock before her jaw dropped open as well. It held outfits similar to those worn by the dancers they had passed moments ago, some more revealing than others.

"Why are we here?" Monica asked fearing Adrine's reply she scanned the stand, several outfits catching her eye before she turned to look at the woman next to her.

"We need to get you two an outfit if you ever want to help Ezio and Altair in the contract that they have to do," Adrine replied as Annalise opened her mouth to protest.

"Bella, you really shouldn't complain…I mean look at me, I have to go to this contract as well," Ezio told her eager to see which outfit she picked. Personally he hoped she picked one of the more revealing ones, he had a feeling he would be smacked if he suggested it.

"Well you don't have to dance in front of people!" Annalise shot back as Ezio processed what she had just said. Upon realizing that she was right he opted for the more concealing outfits, after all he didn't want any man looking at her unless they wanted a blade through them.

Before he could say anything Adrine had already pulled the two women from view in order for the merchant to offer the outfits that would fit them best.

He waited for what seemed hours, his eyes always scanning the crowd for the trademark white robes of the grand master. His attention was brought back when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned to look and couldn't help but frown once he noticed neither of the women were wearing the outfits. Instead they had them in their arms concealed in a leather bag that the merchant had provided.

"It's a surprise!" Annalise exclaimed laughing as Ezio sighed once more.

Yeah…Altair was going to kill him.

The Italian noticed Monica go pale while staring at someone behind him before Annalise's smile dropped as well. Adrine being the last to notice as her mouth opened to give an explanation but came up short.

Ezio already knew who it was by looking at the expressions on the faces of the women in front of him, and sure enough he turned to see none other than the devil himself standing before him surrounded by exotic dancers, some dangling by his neck while others clung to his arms.

Monica rose one of her eyebrows in question while poking her head over Ezio's shoulders before something else caught her attention. A tall man dressed in fine robes followed by another walked through the crowd towards them, his guards parting the way as she grew restless upon noticing they were heading right towards them.

"Uh…Ezio? Altair?" Monica called as the men continued to stride towards her, Annalise noticing as well as she stood next to her partner.

Adrine, Ezio, and Altair were all too occupied arguing with each other to notice the men surrounding both women who looked hopelessly towards the shouting trio.

"Who is your dealer?" the man asked both women as they both looked at each other in confusion.

"Pardon?" Monica asked in confusion backing away only to find herself bumping into one of the man's guards.

"Who is your dealer? Who can I speak to in order to purchase you?" the man repeated as the women's confusion increased by the second. It wasn't until a nearby dancer approached them sensing their confusion.

"He wants to purchase you, _habibti,_" the dancer whispered into Monica's ear as her jaw dropped open, "he is the sultan of Medina, and his brother his second in command, if I was you…I would have already sold myself to him, he comes here occasionally looking for new women," she added making Monica blink in horror.

"Excuse me?" she nearly screamed at the dancer startling her as she backed away slightly.

"Your friend over there can consider herself my property as well, whatever I say is mine…becomes mine," the sultan told her as Annalise nearly dropped her jaw as well.

"I'm not for sale!" Monica yelled outraged stopping half of the market place as they stared at her in shock. No one talked to the sultan in such a manner and expected to come out alive of the situation.

"I have no owner and I never will!" she added furiously walking up to him as the assassins and Adrine stopped talking to see what they had let escalate due to their lack of attention. Altair's temper rose when he observed another man so close to Monica, and it flared when he took note that it was none other than Medina's sultan.

He walked forward only to be stopped by Ezio, "You will only make it worse, amico," the assassin told him as he held back a snarl upon seeing the bastard smile at Monica, his brother followed suit by smirking at Annalise and eyeing her from top to bottom.

"Feisty I see, no matter," the sultan commented looking around, "who is responsible for this woman?" he asked wanting to buy her and her friend and get back to his palace to plan out the party that he would be holding tomorrow.

"Let them get out of this one by themselves, if they see other men with them a fight will break out," Adrine warned sensing both assassins ready to jump into the argument to get back both women.

"No one is responsible for us…and I can assure you, you will never own us," Annalise snarled twisting away from a guard that had grabbed her arm upon sensing her wanting to run.

"I can assure you," the sultan shot back walking towards Annalise stopping inches away from her face, "I can have any woman I want, " he told her eying his guards behind both women.

"Too bad were not your average women, boy," Monica snarled back just before backhanding the sultan and bolting towards the empty spaces in between the guards followed by Annalise who managed to knee one of the guards that got in her way as she followed after her partner.

Chaos broke out as both assassins and Adrine raced after the pair of women at the front of the pack running desperately through the crowded streets, guards at their heels.

"Maybe hitting the fop was a bad idea!" Monica shouted to Annalise as she turned to look at her partner in disbelief.

"You think! How are we gonna get out of this one?" she shouted back looking around for a way out.

It wasn't until an arrow flew by their heads that they turned into an alley and ran into what seemed a wall. It was like the day they had arrived in Jerusalem, they had started a commotion and run into the assassins.

It wasn't until their vision cleared that their eyes landed on said walls, they couldn't have wished for any other people to run into all over again.

**Review! Who do you think is gonna die? :D**


	20. Judas' Kiss

**Judas' Kiss...**

**A/N: My dears this story is nearing its finale! Enjoy while it lasts! **

"This doesn't feel right," Annalise commented fixing her hair trying to tie the complicated headpiece with her blond strands. Adrine swatted her hands away and proceeded to fix the woman's hair as Monica sighed and walked towards the window overlooking the palace they would soon be in. Her outfit jingled according to her movements, but her mood was completely different from the happy sounding clinks of the metal.

"You have a point, they shouldn't have agreed to do this," Monica commented pulling her veil up to the bridge of her nose, her eyes were the only thing that could be seen.

Adrine glanced at the two women worriedly, she couldn't have put it better herself. The dark clouds loomed eerily above them as the three looked out of the window. The wind blew in harshly from the window wiping their hair in different directions.

They had been staying in the building ever since yesterday's fiasco with the sultan in which Ezio and Altair had to slay several guards who wouldn't give up their chase. They had been forced to remain close to the palace in order to get there faster with less chances of being seen.

Annalise swallowed hard glancing at Monica who had her eyes closed leaning up against a wall. She knew her partner didn't want to do this, and hell neither did she but it was something they couldn't back out of now.

"It will all go well, you shall see," Adrine told them trying to comfort the two women who continued to stare out of the window grimly.

Before she had time to say anything else Hadar climbed up through the window and stepped inside of the room trying to catch his breath.

"It's time," he told them as they nodded and proceeded to heading downstairs clothing themselves with more robes to hide the outfits they all wore beneath.

Altair and Ezio were standing outside with the other two assassins with their faces shadowed over by their hoods making it impossible to see their faces. Ezio led Annalise with his arm around her shoulder as Altair merely waited for Monica to join him by his side.

The walk to the palace was painfully silent, no one saying anything. The people passed by in blurs, the shouting being drowned out with their own anxious thoughts. Everyone preoccupied themselves with something different.

Annalise clung to Ezio worriedly as he whispered comforting phrases into her ear making her think it was the last time she was going to see him. Altair clenched his jaw and looked up at the clouded sky, his golden eyes glancing sideways towards Monica who stared down at the ground grimly.

Adrine walked in between the pairs keeping watch for any guards along with the three assassins trailing at the back.

Monica glanced up to see Altair looking at her briefly before directing his attention elsewhere. She sighed and looked at the crowd that they passed through. Everyone had normal lives, they had schedules to follow, things to do without being disrupted by the sudden threat of death.

She caught a glimpse of blond hair in the crowd; she paused slightly trying to get a better look at the face knowing blond hair was rare in Medina before a hand on her back urged her to continue.

She glanced over at Altair who avoided making eye contact with her and occupied himself with pushing her along the crowd when she stopped to get a glance of the strange woman she had seen seconds ago.

"Christina?" she murmured questioningly once she caught sight of the woman again before she disappeared into another crowd. Altair glanced at Monica and merely pushed her in front of him sensing she was distracted as she continued to look back in a confused manner.

What was the blond maid doing here in Medina? She had no reason to be there unless Altair had called for her and that was unlikely knowing how much the grand master despised women who loomed over him as much as she did.

"Walk," Altair whispered to her as she snapped out of her daze and nodded pushing the thought away.

Annalise turned back to look at her partner in a questioning manner as if asking her the same question. Had they just seen the petite maid that worked back in the brotherhood?

Monica shrugged her shoulders before bumping into Hadar noticing the assassin had stopped just outside of a building with massive walls. Adrine glanced up as her eyes widened in surprise, the massive building loomed over them in an intimidating manner, there was no going back now.

The three assassins soon disappeared into the crowd getting ready for the assassination to go according to plan leaving the other two to say their farewells to the women who stood gazing at the building in worry and fear.

"I will see you soon, bella," Ezio told Annalise bending down to kiss her quickly but with more passion than before. That only made Annalise worry more, this was sounding more like a permanent good-bye than a temporary one. "Take care of them," Ezio added walking over to Adrine and hugging her tightly. "Make sure she doesn't get into trouble…on second thought, just stay out of trouble," he told Monica smiling before hugging her as well. He then stared at the three women who found themselves temporarily distracted by processing his words. He took advantage of the moment and slipped into the crowd.

He didn't want them to realize what he was saying and overthink it. He knew it would be harder to let Annalise go once she said anything, the only way he could avoid being held back was to leave. No matter how much it tore at him he had to distance himself from her if this was to go right.

Ezio disappeared in the blink of an eye leaving only Altair who stood completely still looking at the walls into the palace with slight concern. He knew they would make it out of there alive, so why did it feel like something was horribly wrong?

"You'll be back…right?" Monica asked shaking his shoulder lightly as the grand master glanced down at her with a blank face. He thought the answer was yes the day before, he wasn't too sure now.

"Of course, what do you take me for?" he snapped back causing her to jump at his tone. He sighed for the first time and lessened the glare in his look before speaking to her once more, "do not mess up, and whatever happens…run," he told her seriously making her frown beneath the veil. She didn't like the sound of that.

Not. one. bit.

"You know we're not leaving you guys behind," she replied with a nervous laugh. His expression didn't even change, that alone frightened her immensely.

"Do not wait for me," he growled warningly into her ear making her shudder as she noticed how close he was to her. She could practically feel his body heat; the overwhelming sense to reach out and embrace him crossed her mind but left as soon as it came once she remembered who she was dealing with.

"Altair, I'm not leaving you," she snapped back causing a spark to flash through his eyes. He growled warningly to her, she could practically feel the low rumble vibrate through her as she stood her ground. She was horrified, and he knew it, as she stared back stubbornly at him.

"Do not test me woman, I want you nowhere near me when this starts, understood?" he snarled causing her to jump once more. She didn't want to leave him or Ezio, or any of the other three behind, his orders would most likely fall upon deaf ears, but hell he was trying his best to keep her away.

He gripped her shoulders roughly when she refused to look at him, he knew she was already planning on a way to ignore his orders; they weren't even orders anymore, despite them turning more into warnings than commands.

Tears pooled at her eyes as she thought of never seeing the bastard in front of her again. Perhaps that's why Ezio had left before Annalise had any time to react to his parting. He had been smart and saved her the trouble of thinking she would never see him again. Their goodbye had been short and sweet; hers however proved to be bitter and horrifying.

"Please…please come back," she whispered to him one of her own hands wrapping around his wrist. He tensed upon feeling the strange contact before pulling away without another word making her release her hold on him.

"I do not promise what I cannot guarantee," he told her before disappearing into the crowd leaving her shaken. She tried to keep up with his rapid movements as he darted through the crowd but lost him after a moment or two as a frown settled onto her expression.

"We need to concentrate, do not think about them now," Adrine warned them having done this countless times before. She wrapped the robe around her frame tighter and walked towards the guards that stood at the entrance blocking anyone's entry.

Monica and Annalise followed both of them nervous wrecks as Adrine spoke to the guards. After a moment or two of debate they stepped aside and let the women enter. The three walked thought the elegant corridors until they reached the courtyard of the large palace.

They looked around and noticed the party had already started. Men stumbled around with wine in one hand and a woman in the other. Other men talked about politics while eyeing their rivals form across the room while music played in the background to ease the crowd who was growing impatient. They wanted entertainment, and soon.

Adrine nodded to both women as she quickly she her robe to reveal a blue two piece outfit that sparkled despite the lack of sun that day. Several heads turned towards her noticing the revealing outfit. It consisted of a blue skirt that ran down to her ankles and flowed magnificently whenever she moved, the golden coins strapped to the waist jingled with every movement she made. The top piece consisted of a bra cut garment that held beading down to her midriff. Coins adorned every part of the outfit which called attention without fail as it showed off her well-kept body, years of running around with assassins lead to that.

Around her ankle and wrists were golden bands that also clinked every time she moved her hand or leg, several men started to ask around wondering who her employer was in order to purchase her.

Monica glanced at Annalise and shrugged before revealing her outfit as well. It was identical to Adrine's except for the skirt which was much shorter and ended just below her mid tight which called the attention of a different class of men.

The scar running down her back appealed more to some and instantly offers were called out looking for her employer as well. She found the whole thing to be over the top with gold, her ankles felt like they were being dragged down by the excessive amount of bands around them along with her wrists.

She looked over to Adrine and noticed she was having no such problems. Perhaps years of experience helped when it came to things like these.

Annalise was the last to shed her robes to reveal a scarlet outfit that caught the eye of several other men. Her outfit was identical to Monica's if not a bit longer but not by much when it came to the skirt. Unlike the other two she had gold chains around her neck which shined and made noise every time she moved along with her outfit.

She bore the same amount of jewelry as the other two and felt rather odd with having so much weight on her limbs, she glanced over at Monica who shrugged and walked over carefully to where her place was followed by Adrine who settled down on the far side of the courtyard.

Annalise sighed and picked up the basket that had been delivered to her when they came into the palace wondering what was in it that made it so special as to have the sultan ask for it to be used during their performance. Monica had a similar basket along with Adrine as the three looked at each other and nodded.

The music started up again and they went through the various routines Adrine had spent hours on. The assassins watched from the roof entryways quietly waiting for the right moment to strike down their targets.

Altair and Ezio watched amused as they observed the various dances Adrine had shown them the night before. Half way through the performance the trio stopped and pulled out something that no one had expected.

Annalise froze as her hand wrapped around something cold and scaly before she pulled out a yellow boa from the basket. She stared in shock at the snake and immediately her head snapped over to Adrine for guidance.

Adrine on the other hand wasn't surprised when she felt the familiar feel of scales against her hand; she pulled out a white python as it curled around her arm comfortably. Monica on the other hand pulled out a green tree python which startled her and caused her head to snap over to Adrine as well.

Adrine looked at the pair of women and tapped her foot three times motioning the routine they would follow. She had warned them of the snakes in advance although she didn't think they would actually be using them.

The two women nodded knowing what to do as they continued, each with their own snake. The crowd became engrossed with the trio and soon the guards did as well neglecting their duties. The assassins looked at each other before dropping down silently one by one.

Altair stalked over to the sultan ready to slice the pig's throat open as Ezio moved towards his brother before a couple of guards came up behind both assassins and caused them to falter catching them completely off guard.

They had made sure all of the guards were busy!

How could something like this happen?

How!

They both struggled against the guards managing to kill them before more surrounded them as chaos broke out in the courtyard. The other three assassins being subdued quickly much to their predicament.

Altair found himself being brought down on his knees in front of the sultan, Ezio in the same predicament by his side struggling madly against the guards. This was not going as planned.

The trio that had been distracting the crowd made a dash for the exit but not before a couple of guards got a hold of them as well. They were all dragged towards the sultan who merely looked at the assassin and at the women with a blank face as if he had been expecting this all along.

The courtyard grew eerily silent without the people in it shouting and panicking to get out as the sultan rose from his seat and touched Jamil on the shoulder while nodding to the guard holding the assassin.

Altair had expected the guard to slice Jamil's throat open after that little show, so he nearly had a heart attack when the guard released Jamil and allowed him to stand next to the sultan.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ezio snarled struggling against the guards as Jamil took a pouch that the sultan handed to him. The familiar clang of coins inside sounded like death bells to the remaining assassins as each paled followed by the next.

"It seems you have a Judas in your creed, Altair, he told us everything we needed to know," the sultan laughed as Jamil stood next to him smirking down at the grand master and Ezio before sneering at the other two who stared at him open mouthed.

Annalise struggled against the guards holding her as Monica did the same. Adrine was in denial as she continued to watch Jamil with betrayal written all over her features.

"Calm down harlots!" the guards snarled taking both Annalise and Monica by the hair earning cries from both women as the assassins regained their will to struggle upon witnessing this.

"Let them go," Ezio warned as the sultan laughed and crouched in front of him and Altair.

"You two have been a thorn in my side, I will offer this only once, either join me or perish," he offered as Altair sneered at the man in front of him before spiting in his face with rage.

"I would rather rot than join someone like you," the grandmaster growled making Ezio nod in agreement.

"Very well, take them to the cliffs overlooking Masyaf and dispose of them," the sultan ordered as Altair turned to look at Monica in panic once they started to drag them away.

Annalise was in tears by the time she saw Ezio being beaten into submission by the guards as he refused to give in to being taken willingly. Hadar and Karim merely cast Jamil murderous looks as they too fought against the guards to no avail. Altair fighting the hold the guards had on him as well as one faltered and lessened the pressure he was using to hold the assassin in place as he managed to grab a hold of one of his throwing blades and sent it flying with a brutal force towards the sultan.

Much to his disappointment the sultan's brother got it the way and took the hit for his family member as Altair was restrained once more. Several other guards rushed over to the sultan's brother and carried him away as the sultan himself rose and walked over to Monica before backhanding her causing her face to snap to the side with the vicious blow.

"No…what are they going to do with them?" Annalise yelled demandingly at the sultan reaching desperately for Ezio who was bleeding from his nose and mouth leaving a bloody trail as the guards continued to drag him further and further away.

Altair snarled warningly and tried even harder to free himself and maim the bastard in front of him for hitting what was his as Monica looked after him hopelessly.

"You can't die, Altair! You can't die!" she yelled after him more horrified than she had ever been in her whole life. The grandmaster stared at her for the last time as they dragged them through the large wooden doors and slammed them shut behind them.

"This is declaring war against the creed!" Adrine barked furiously looking back and forth between Jamil and the sultan. Neither of them seemed too preoccupied with that at the moment.

"How can it be, when I am the new grandmaster?" Jamil told her caressing the side of her face as she snapped. She caught a hold of his hand with her mouth and bit down animalistically drawing blood from him as he yelped and pulled his hand away.

"You are lucky I made a promise to your father to look after you, you won't be sharing the same fate as those two over there," he told her eyeing Monica and Annalise who both seemed frightened and distraught upon being separated from the pair of assassins.

"I have something special planned for you two," he told them as he took Altair's hidden blade and strapped it to his arm replacing his lower rank one. Up until now the trio hadn't noticed he had removed it from the grandmaster.

"No one will believe you," Adrine snapped before Jamil smiled and nodded towards another guard who opened a door and let in another unpleasant sight.

Christina.

"Of course they will, I have Altair's blade, Ezio's horse, and a witness," he told them motioning towards Christina, "I will tell them the mission went horribly wrong and they left me in charge just before dying," he told them as they remained shocked. It was one hit after another.

"That is still not enough, do you think we will remain quiet about this?" Adrine yelled back before a disturbing smile reached Christina's lips as she opened them to reply to Adrine with pure malice in her voice

"How can you speak, when you will be locked away, and those two will no longer be living?"

**Review!**


	21. This is where we part

**This is where we part...**

**A/N: 1 more chapter left and then we're done my dear readers! This story is coming to an end in the next chapter so dont forget to review!**

Time seemed meaningless; it went by without anyone to acknowledge it. How long had it been since their decadence? A day, a week, a month?

It didn't matter anymore, nothing did. The walls around them were cold and unforgiving, the ground was damp and every now and then a droplet of water dripped down from the ceiling. The cells themselves were rather primitive, nothing more than an empty room with iron bars to keep them in.

The chains that had been used to bind them rattled with the slightest movement, the metal cold and foreign against their skin. The shackles had left bruises and cuts on their wrists and ankles after a while of pulling knowing that they wouldn't be breaking any time soon.

But how could they give up so easily?

Neither of them moved for the fresh wounds on their backs were far too painful to irritate. The crimson droplets slid down their backs as they remained paralyzed on the ground in the exact spot the guards had thrown them in.

The sounds of the whip coming down on them never left them, they would hear the harsh cracking of the leather right before the assassin in charge brought it down with a monstrous blow. They had endured several sessions of that, one right after the other. The tears they had cried were long gone after what seemed to be the third day of their punishment.

They had arrived at Masyaf over a week ago, and they had been accused of being the traitors. Adrine had been left in another part of the creed so she wouldn't be able to speak against Jamil and Christina. Malik was away attending an important meeting so their last hope had vanished as soon as they had been informed of that.

Soon after that they had been thrown in the cells beneath the creed where they tortured and interrogated their prisoners. It had been no different for them, countless times they had tried to get them to admit of their treason, but every time the guard would either stop because they merely passed out due to the pain or refused to talk.

It was their routine to wake up and immediately be beat or whipped into submission. Food was thrown at them from time to time but they ate very little. Few words were exchanged between both women for they knew what awaited them and the guard that was watching them would no doubt whip them for speaking.

It wasn't until one afternoon when Jamil came down the stairway that they bothered in picking their heads up to see what had brought the new 'Grand Master' down to the holding cells.

Monica ignored the pain she felt from her lacerated back and managed to turn her neck to see the bastard wearing one of Altair's outfits, she wished that she wasn't so weak. She wished she could slip free of her shackles and choke the man in front of her for tearing away the only thing she cared about.

Annalise merely glared at him and followed him with her eyes as he strode towards them with an air of arrogance and pride that was going to get him killed if he continued any longer with his façade. He stopped in front of their cells and crouched to examine both women.

They both lay unmoving staring at him with looks that could kill as a smile spread through his features. He would enjoy breaking them even further this afternoon. He had been informed of everything the assassins had tried on them, and despite all of their methods the pair of women remained unresponsive to everything they did.

"I come to inform you that your execution shall be tomorrow afternoon courtesy of the grand master," he told them standing while staring them down. Annalise wanted to spit at him in disgust but found her mouth dry due to days without drinking water. The only thing that she could taste however was blood; the metallic flavor repulsed her causing her to look away from Jamil to grimace.

"Y-you are the grand master, why refer to yourself in third person?" Monica asked frowning when she moved too much and the cuts on her back burned earning a hiss from her.

Jamil stared down at her and crouched once more while reaching inside of her cell. He brushed away a matted piece of black hair away from her face and smiled.

"That's because I am not the grandmaster for the time being, Altair and Ezio are alive," he told them as both women looked at him in confusion. If the pair of assassins were alive then why hadn't they come to get them out of this mess like all of the other times?

"They agreed to order your executions in exchange for their lives and then hand over the creed to me," he told them as both women froze. Each with their own thoughts running wild.

"They would never do that," Annalise spat back afraid of what Jamil might reply as threw back his head and laughed.

"You would be surprised, a man shows you who he truly is when he is about to die…they chose to live…and let you die instead," he told her as she drew back from him in denial.

"That can't be true," Monica whispered. She thought she knew Altair and Ezio, she thought she could trust them.

"I can assure you that it is true, they are assassins, what else did you expect? They prefer to live than to perish for someone else, that is what they have been trained for, Altair and Ezio know that better than anyone else," he told them as they sunk further and further away from him. Betrayal eminent in their expressions.

"It is in their nature, what made you two so special? Ezio has had millions of women seduced, each believing they were the only ones in the world for him, the same can be said for Altair," he added slyly as Annalise shrunk back with the blow he had just given.

She knew Ezio was a womanizer, but she had thought that he had something special with him. She had thought that he would change his ways for her, but she could see that it had merely been an illusion. Monica on the other hand took blow after blow of evidence that was hard to deny.

Jamil on the other hand knew for a fact that Altair and Ezio were dead; he had been informed that his assassins had thrown them over the cliffs overlooking Masyaf. Such a drop was difficult to survive, and if that didn't finish them off then the strong current awaiting them would. Jamil could almost guarantee that they were dead by now.

He wanted the women in front of him to hate them however, to feel resentment towards them. He just wanted to see them miserable before they were hanged. With that he stood once more and turned to leave pleased with his work.

Had Annalise and Monica thought his words true they would have realized that they weren't true. Ezio and Altair would never betray them in such a manner, but it was too late to change anything. They would be hanged tomorrow and nothing was going to change that.

Jamil left but not without stealing a last glance at the pair of women who suddenly gave up hope. Monica closed her eyes and dropped her head not caring if her wounds were reopened while Annalise turned away from Jamil and tried to hold herself together before she broke down.

"They betrayed us," Monica growled feeling immense hate towards the man she once loved dearly. All of her memories with him were erased from her mind in that brief period of time, how could he do this to her?

"We shouldn't have met them," Annalise added bitterly, "this is how we are repaid," she finalized turning away from the cell door and settling back down preparing herself for her death.

Neither of them had ever really though they would be dying so quickly, but with everything that had happened death didn't sound too bad.

They spent the whole night preparing themselves, neither of them sleeping dreading to see the light of day. When the first rays of light did shine down from the staircase they both exchanged glances and nodded knowing there was no going back.

The pair of guards that were sent to retrieve them descended the stairs with haunting steps; the keys in their hands jingled eerily as they opened the doors to their individual cells and released them of the tight shackles that had been placed on them.

They grabbed them roughly by the arms and dragged them up the stairs into the blinding light of day. Monica looked back at Annalise when they saw the single noose hanging from the center of the courtyard. The executioner awaited them with two black sacks to put over their heads as the assassins who were present sneered at the women.

They were the 'traitors' after all, they murmured comments amongst themselves and stared at the pair as they were shoved towards the steps leading up to the noose that lay hanging before them.

The pair exchanged glances knowing that one of them was going to have to go first as Jamil watched amongst the crowd with Christina by his side.

"This is where the story ends kid; I'll see you in another life, eh?" Monica told Annalise not wanting to get any deeper into their goodbyes for fear of never wanting to part from her lifelong partner in crime. She walked up the steps first as Annalise watched horrified wishing for a miracle to happen and get them out of the predicament in which they found themselves in.

Monica walked up next to the executioner as he hands trembled upon seeing the square where she would be hanging from in mere moments. The dividing line that could be seen where the doors parted to drop a body haunted her as the executioner slipped the black sack over her head shrouding her view of everything.

She had never been the religious type so as the man led her to where she needed to stand she merely tried to recall everything she had done that had both harmed and benefited others. She could feel the rope being placed around her neck as the man next to her tightened it slowly.

The harsh material felt foreign against her skin, she wished that it hadn't ended like this. Perhaps in another life she could fix her mistakes to avoid ending up where she was now. It was too late to change them now; she could feel the man moving away to pull the lever.

"This will be quick," he whispered to her and for that she was thankful. If the noose wasn't tightened enough it would end in a slow and painful death, but if it was tightened too much it would result in her head rolling off of her shoulders. She thanked the man for knowing what he was doing as she heard him stop walking and reach for the lever. The crowd around her went quiet, Annalise staring at her partner in crime in pure horror as the executioner pulled the lever and she dropped down in the blink of an eye.

A sickening crack reached her ears making her skin crawl as she looked at Monica's unmoving body. Pure horror invaded her, she wasn't afraid to die, but she had never thought she would watch her partner be hung in front of her.

The executioner let her hang for a moment or two more before two assassins moved forward and cut her down. She watched as they carried her body out of sight, the whole time praying for her to simply move and say everything was ok that they would get out of this one as well.

That never happened.

She was shoved forward by one of the guard as she shakily ascended the stairs and stood where her partner had stood moments ago. The fine line dividing the square beneath her feet making her regret ever meeting Ezio and Altair. Before she had any more time to think a black sack was slipped over her head as well.

She felt the harsh noose slipped over her neck and tightened appropriately. She drowned out the voices around her as the boots of the executioner echoed around her. She heard him stop and grip the lever before she looked up at the sky.

The executioner pulled the lever as the doors beneath her flew open and her body started to drop down. The last thing she registered before she died was Ezio's voice yelling at the executioner to stop, but by now it was far too late.

Her neck cracked as well as her body hung lifelessly from the rope.

Everyone in the creed turned towards the entrance only to see Ezio, Altair, Karim, and Hadar standing at the entrance with horrified looks upon witnessing what the creed had just done.

Jamil's face paled upon seeing them alive as Altair scanned the crowd briefly with bloodshot eyes before his eyes landed on Jamil. Ezio right behind the grandmaster as chaos broke out.

Blood will have blood.

**Review!**


	22. Forevermore

**Forevermore**

**A/N:Took forever but here it is, final chappie! Your poor writer felt like sihz so pardon if it isnt my best, enjoy and let me know what you all thought of it!**

It wasn't supposed to end like this...

It wasn't supposed to end at all.

Jamil turned away from the fuming assassins and started to run away from them trying to distance himself as much as he could from the grandmaster who was stalking over to him.

All hell broke loose as Altair pulled out his throwing knives and hurled them after Jamil. Several of those never met their target and instead ended up imbedding themselves into assassins that tried to get out of the way. They fell to the ground and only seemed to slow down the grandmaster even more as he allowed his hidden blade to slide out without even thinking and slit the throats of the assassins that got in his way.

Ezio stood dumbstruck watching the scene unfold as Altair cut down a large mass of the creed in his attempt to reach Jamil. The Italian stepped back for a moment when a puddle of blood pooled at his feet, assassins reaching out or him on the ground with hopeless eyes as they bled to death.

Was it all worth it?

He stepped back again and caught a sight of Annalise's body still hanging from the noose; his mind went blank once more. He couldn't believe this had happened over the course of their absence. They had merely been gone for five days, five meaningless days and he had lost the girl that had gotten attached to him.

They all deserved to die; they had betrayed the creed when they chose to listen to Jamil. He turned away from Altair who continued to cut down anyone in his path and stumbled over to the body that hung over the execution drop.

He didn't even register his body pulling out a knife to cut her down, he did however feel a sense of sorrow overwhelm him when he caught her body and collapsed on the ground holding her close to him.

The heat that never failed to allure him was gone forever; her body would never be that warm. The coldness of her skin confirmed her death, but he didn't want to accept it. It couldn't end like this; he frowned before pulling off the black sack that remained tightened around her head.

He almost wished he hadn't.

She looked like she was sleeping, he scoffed at the idea, he knew better. He ran his hand over her closed eyes before it lingered over her lips. His fingers seemed to ghost over her cold lips before he dropped his hand in defeat, she was dead.

It was all his fault, had they arrived sooner they would have saved them. An immense sense of guilt weighed him down as he glanced up when he heard shouts and panicked voices surround him.

"Kill them all," Altair growled over to Karim and Hadar as the pair of assassins looked at each other and at their grandmaster questioningly. Altair merely ignored them and continued to walk over to Ezio with Jamil in hand.

Altair halted when he saw the two assassins pause and refuse to do the order that he had given.

"I said kill them all," he repeated in a lower voice motioning over to the remaining assassins who all stood with their backs against the wall of the courtyard looking for a way out when they heard Altair's orders. They knew they had betrayed him the moment he walked in and they all realized that he wasn't really dead, they had all believed Jamil's lies and now they would pay with their lives.

Karim and Hadar merely looked at each other before they pulled out their swords and started to take care of the remaining assassins who all panicked and tried to fight back as Altair turned his back to them and continued to walk over the hunched over form of the Italian.

Jamil merely went along as he felt his neck being constricted by the death grip that the grandmaster had on it. Altair pushed him forward as he stopped inches from Ezio who remained on the ground holding a woman's body close to him.

"Look at what you have done," Altair snarled at him before kicking his leg from behind forcing him to go down on his knees and holding him there to make sure he knew what he was trying to say. "Where is the other one?" Altair asked in a low pitch voice as Jamil merely suppressed a laugh.

There was no way he was going to get out of this one alive; he might as well get in a few more laughs before they decided to kill him.

"Ah, so the black haired one was your little whore," he replied as Altair pulled back his fist and brought it down animalistically on his Jamil's face. He felt something break beneath his knuckles and glared warningly at the young assassin who held his broken nose as it gushed out blood.

"Where is she?" Altair demanded as Jamil flinched before getting hit once more. His nose oozed out blood as he swayed in his spot pondering whether he should tell Altair that his harlot had been the first to swing.

"Her neck was the one that cracked first, " Jamil replied as Altair paled for a moment or two before the color returned to his face and he snatched Jamil up once more and swung at his face one more time before the younger assassin lost his balance and fell on the ground.

Ezio merely ignored the pair as he continued to deny the fact that she was dead, she couldn't leave him…not like this. He caressed her blood matted hair and pulled her closer to him before realizing that she was still bleeding from her back.

He pulled her closer and tilted his head to get a better look at her back only to see several lacerations from the various whipping sessions that they had been put through.

"You tortured them?" he asked dangerously turning to look at Jamil who refused to answer and lay in pain on the ground.

Altair merely stood back as Ezio set Annalise's body down carefully and rose only to place his boot on Jamil's back and apply pressure as the assassin underneath him laughed.

"You should have heard them scream, the dark haired one had a fine set of lungs for screaming," he laughed as Altair snapped and lunged at him only to be stopped by Ezio.

The Italian gazed sympathetically at the Arab in front of him; he had already seen what they had done to Annalise. Altair on the other hand still had to find Monica's body.

"Leave the pig be, I will take care of him for now," Ezio told him as Altair nodded slowly and started to walk away but not before he landed a kick to Jamil's stomach causing the assassin to curl into a ball and cough for air.

Ezio watched the grandmaster walk away as he crouched down and heaved Jamil up with a brutal force before delivering a few punches of his own.

"Is this the best you can do? I expected more," Jamil teased despite the throb of his head as the Italian delivered one finally blow and stopped after hearing his comment.

"Oh no amico, I am just getting started," Ezio snapped before he proceeded to drag him down to the torture chambers and wait for Altair to find his way back.

The grandmaster on the other hand found himself descending towards the cells where they had been kept knowing that they would have thrown her body in there after killing her. He paused outside of the wooden door briefly before pushing it open and stepping inside.

He descended the stairs slowly and nearly lost his footing avoiding a fall as he finally reached the lower levels. He halted almost immediately upon seeing her lifeless form tossed into one of the cells as he stumbled over to her and tried to hold himself together.

He crouched near her body and reached out to touch her, he would regret that act for the rest of his life. Her skin felt like ice beneath his fingertips, a clear sign that she would never be alive again.

His eyes scanned her briefly registering all of the bruises on her body and brushing his hand over one on her neck making sure to remember each and every one in order to administer the same amount on Jamil.

He reached over to pull of the black sack over her head as he closed his eyes upon seeing her face. It was a mess of blood and dark bruises as well. He cupped her cheek regretting the fact that he had never done it when she was alive before he closed his eyes once more and clenched his jaw tightly.

He stood up quickly unable to stand the sight of her like that before leaving the holding cell and heading back upstairs to make the bastard pay for everything he had done to her. Every cut, every bruise, every laceration would be returned thousand fold.

Karim and Hadar merely waited outside as they heard inhuman shrieks and howls come from the torture room. Neither of the assassins went to see what they were doing to the man, they didn't want to risk it and get caught in the crossfire as well, everyone in their creed was dead and currently lying in a puddle of their own blood in the courtyard, they didn't plan on joining them today.

The pair turned towards the room where they kept supplies as the door splintered before Adrine managed to kick it down. She halted as she ran into the body of an assassin as her eyes widened upon seeing them all dead. Her eyes then shot up to look at the pair who explained what had happened.

She then proceeded to tell them that they had kept her chained to the wall in that room. She had barely managed to pick the lock and planned to tell everyone the truth but realized that it had come far too late.

"So where are their bodies?" Adrine asked morbidly as Karim pointed towards Annalise's body only to notice that it wasn't there anymore. Hadar stared blankly at the empty spot before another blood curdling scream tore through the air.

They proceeded to check on Monica's body only to notice that it wasn't there anymore. They decided to avoid going into the torture room and tell the assassins that their bodies were missing and merely waited for them to finish their revenge.

Three days passed with Jamil screaming at the top of his lungs, Adrine could have sworn she would have nightmares of the ordeal when it was over.

When the pair finally emerged from the torture room Adrine rushed over to tell them that they couldn't find the bodies anywhere. Altair stared at her with a cold stare while Ezio merely blinked at her as if she hadn't said anything at all.

"Did you hear me? Their gone, we can't find them anywhere!" she exclaimed as Altair walked away from her grimly and headed towards his room. He couldn't explain the strange events that led to their bodies disappearing but he got the feeling that no matter how hard they looked they would never find them.

"Master, do you want us to search for new assassins?" Karim called after him as Ezio followed suit and started to head towards his own room. He needed some time away from the creed, away from everything.

"The creed is dead, and so is everyone in it," Ezio replied as he stepped over bodies and puddles of blood leaving the young trio to stare after their mentors in confusion.

"What do we do now?" Hadar asked as Adrine looked at him with a sad look in her eyes before turning away as well before replying.

"I suggest we start to rebuild everything, those two are in no condition to even begin to think of restoring the creed," she told him as he replied back.

"This is going to take a century to rebuild."

"So be it."

OoOoOoOoOoO

A phone vibrated against the wooden floors emitting a loud noise as Annalise picked her head up and swatted it away in an annoyed matter. She dropped her head on the wooden floor once more before realizing what had just happened.

She wasn't dead.

She immediately picked her head up and looked around only to find Monica passed out on the floor next to her. She shook her partner awake before the phone started to go off once more.

Monica picked her head up slightly and reached over to answer it in an annoyed matter.

"Natalie? Look I told you already just kill the damn spider already and stop waking me up," she snapped before she too realized that they were back to the present. She dropped her phone and stood up after Annalise as she felt her neck.

It seemed fine, no fractures or broken bones.

"Were back," Annalise gasped looking around the room, everything was in the exact same place as if time hadn't gone by at all. The fact that Natalie was on the phone going on about the spider only confirmed their guesses.

It was as if they had never left.

"Hey check out the scars on your back, it looks like they tore away your wings and left the wounds to heal, like a fallen angel," Monica told her partner as Annalise glanced back and noticed the long gashes running down her back. The fact that they had scars from the whip lashings proved that they had been in assassins creed.

Annalise laughed as she too pointed out the scars on Monica's back before realizing that they would never be able to go back and fix things.

"More like a fallen bird…a hawk," she paused briefly before staring at Monica realizing that things wouldn't be the same anymore, "a wingless hawk."

**Sequel or no sequel? Let me know in the review!**


	23. Author's Note!

**Author's Note:**

**Well, the first chapter for the sequel has been posted my dear readers! I thought I would let you know as a head's up, its called 'Feathery Wings'. Feel free to read and review, ciao!** :D


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